


Of blue and black

by AnnieDMC



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), reader insert - Fandom
Genre: Adventure, Dick is a sweetheart, F/M, Fluff, Nightwing is a badass, Pwease :), Romance, Slow Burn, Will add more as this goes on - Freeform, batfam, bear with me, if it does, reader is shy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-02-14 02:36:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12997971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieDMC/pseuds/AnnieDMC
Summary: Blüdhaven was not what you expected at all. Even when you had to leave everything behind at Gotham, you couldn't say you regretted your decision. A beautiful blue bird, and a member of the police force would make your stay there be worth everything. Through thick and thin, you would learn about the place you belong to... and would find the person you belong with.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Had been reading way too much about Dick Grayson, I decided to give this sweetheart a go. I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter. I would appreciate your opinions, suggestions, or questions, if any. Please let me know about any errors or mistakes. English is not my first language, so there probably would be a LOT. Thank you so much, and have fun :D!

To be brutally honest with yourself, Blüdhaven wasn’t what you expected. Yes, It was another grey, cold city. And although it wasn’t as big as Gotham, it looked just as busy. People walked to and fro, tightly holding onto suitcases and purses as they rushed towards their workplace. The city streets looked absolutely crowded that particular Monday morning, and you knew it had been a bad idea to stop for that hot cup of cocoa.

And now you were going to be late. Not that you could blame anything or anyone but yourself. You should have known better. The train was impossible to board, and the half hour you thought you had gained, evaporated right under your nose.

By the time you managed to squeeze in one of the wagons, after some pushing and apologizing, it was eight past fifteen; a quarter hour past your start time. But what could you possibly do? Better late than never, right?

But of course, your new boss did NOT agree with that, and you had to endure an angry speech from the coffee deprived woman. Later though, she had apologized and had told you that she hadn’t had a decent amount of coffee that morning. She did warn you not to be late again, but you could live with that.

Sitting on your brand new office, a soft, giddy giggle left your lips.

Working as a newswriter had finally paid off. Although you had started as an assistant back in Gotham city, they had seen your talent. And albeit there was no place for you there, your ex-boss was able to to get you an interview with Blüdhaven news agency, and you had managed to land a job.

It wasn’t easy; leaving your home and family behind. But it was something you were doing for yourself. It was a big step up in your career, and you were not going to let the opportunity go.

Still, there were a few things you needed to take care of. You had been staying in a hotel room for the past couple days, but you needed to get a cheaper place before you went bankrupt.

So alternating between researching for the article you had to write, and looking for a new place, you learned quite a few interesting things about the city. The crime rate was higher than goddamn Gotham. Especially with the arrival of the self-proclaimed criminal boss ‘Blockbuster’. But hey, every villain had its hero, and he was no exception. And thus, you found yourself immersed into article after article of Blüdhaven’s vigilante; **Nightwing.**

His origin wasn’t known, but adding two plus two equals four, and so you realized he had probably come after that Blockbuster guy. And both had stayed.

The morning and early afternoon were uneventful, save the magnificent – your words – article you had written about the mysterious, clad in black and blue hero. You haven’t been given specific parameters. It all had started as a city’s review from an outsider your boss wanted to hear, and somehow you had turned it all into a text all about Nightwing.

Your hopes were not high, but when presented to your boss, she had decided to keep and publish it for the next day.

Around three in the afternoon, you were all ready to go home, happy with your first to-be published article, newfound interest for the blue bird and his heroic acts, and a list of places you could rent.

But first things first. Stationing yourself at a nearby park, you unpacked your lunch – that you had totally forgotten to eat, surviving the day with a couple doses of hot cocoa and tiny marshmallows. Munching on it, you dialed on the first numbers you had written in your list, managing to get a couple meetings for that same day. After finishing the sandwich and gulping down the can of soda you had sneaked into your purse, you made your way to the first house.

***-*-*-***

By the fifth apartment, you were desperate. They owners of the previous places charged you MORE than a goddamn hotel room, were either too picky for you (Who the hell has a curfew of nine o’clock in the fucking night?!), or you simply didn’t meet their requirements.

But this place however, although not located in the best part of the city, was very decent. It was a small apartment; two medium sized rooms, each with a bathroom, a study, a kitchen, and laundry room. The description had pictures attached, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want it. So far, it looked like the best. You were not comfortable, however, with your flat mate being a male, as the description said. But seeing what you had… beggars can’t be choosers. And you decided that it wasn’t going to bother you anymore.

Walking up a few stories, you made it to apartment 404. Ringing on the bell, you waited. And waited. And waited.

And as you were ready to give up and leave, because apparently nobody was home even though they had said they would, the door abruptly opened.

You couldn’t help but stare, open mouthed and flabbergasted.

That was the most gorgeous male specimen you had seen in ages.

Rebel raven hair, probably from sleep, so soft and silky looking, striking blue eyes that could see into your soul, a strong jaw that seemed sculpted by Greek Gods, broad shoulders, muscular chest completely visible thanks to his opened shirt, and just… oh holy Molly.

“-logize me?”

Blinking, you looked at him, cheeks tainted dark red when you realized he had been talking and you had been shamelessly ogling him. “Oh my God! I-I didn’t mean to stare! I’m so sorry, I, uh… I came here for t-the... ah, the ad a-about an available room?”

A light chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head. “No problem at all. Yeah. I recall you calling early for a meeting. I’m sorry. Had a rough night… So I kind of fell asleep. I didn’t hear the bell until the fifth ring.”

“Ah, don’t worry! I can always come back tomorrow..?” You trailed. Rough night, huh? Of course. He’s a lady-killer. You shouldn’t have expected anything.

“So you came all the way here just to leave?” He inquires, smirking at your stuttering. “Just kidding, sweetie. C’mon in. It’s a little… messy, but it could be worse,” He warns once he guides you inside.

Indeed, there’s a few garments here and there thrown on the floor, couch in total disarray, and you guessed he had been sleeping there earlier, but other than that, it looks clean, nice, and cozy.

After giving you a small tour of the apartment, he turns to look at you, combing his raven locks with his fingers, trying to smooth it out. “So? What’d you think about it?”

Softly nodding, you gave him a light smile. “I really like it. Seems like a place I’d want to own. Though,” You started, sighing. “Could we talk about the price? I’m not… I… uh, I’m kind of short on money. I actually just moved here a couple days ago.”

Oh. So that was it. Nodding his head, he guided you to the kitchen, offering some cold water you couldn’t turn down. It was refreshing and delicious. Sitting on the kitchen island, he waited patiently for you to freshen up a bit, before bringing it up again. “Look. I just need someone to help me take care of this place. It’s small, but sometimes it gets to be a bit too much on me.” He drawls, clicking his tongue. “So… how much can you afford?”

Not knowing well where he was getting at, you told him the max you could give him per month, hoping he’d be somehow convinced. You could afford the rent, plus paying a couple bills, but that was it.

“Okay. Cool. How about I take care of all the bills, and you pay half the rent. The rest you can save up, and use for your meals and stuff. That okay?” He asked, grinning.

And that was the very same moment your mouth turned into a perfect, and surprised ‘o’. Was he for real? “H… half the rent? B-but… d-don’t you need the money? Ah… I can’t! I feel it’d be taking advantage of you! Look, I’m okay with the whole rent-“

“Hey,” He interrupted, lightly patting your shoulder, and you looked up at him, just noticing how much taller he was than you. Now that you thought about it, you barely reached his shoulder. And you were wearing a bit of heels. “I don’t _need_ the money, per se. But I could use the help and company. I’m not about to charge you a billion dollars for a roof and a bed. So take it easy, girl. Think about it, and give me your answer, yeah?”

“Yes!” You had blurted out suddenly, feeling your already red cheeks turn even redder. “I-I mean… I’d… that would seriously help me out a lot! Thank you..! Uh… um…”

“Dick.” He followed, shaking hands with you for the first time that afternoon. “The name’s Richard Grayson, but you can call me Dick.” He elaborated. “So, nice to meet you roomie! Or, should I call you…”

“Ah, I’m [Name] [Last Name]! Nice to meet you, too!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking a look back, you realize you're taking one step further into making your dreams come true. And hey, if you can dream it, you can make it, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is merely a little background story for the reader. I promise more interaction with our beloved blue bird in the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoy =)

You would be lying if you said you weren’t excited. It was the start of a new adventure… a new chapter in your life. Even when you tripped, and fell face first into the plush carpet of your hotel room, that didn’t ruin your mood an ounce. Quickly standing up, you fixed the wrinkles on your clothes, acting as if nothing had happened.

You were finally moving into your new place. And although you had been a tiny, little bit disappointed when Dick told you he’d be out the city for the weekend, he had left you the keys and full access to the apartment. Except for his room, that’s for sure. But you respected his privacy, and you promised him you’d never go there uninvited. Of course, that had made you blush because why would he EVEN invite you, huh? And that had elicited a chuckle from him, and a dark blush from you.

Letting out a triumphant squeal, you looked around to all three boxes, blinking. “It took me the whole morning to pack three boxes?!”

Oh well, what could you do? You managed to pile all of them into trembling arms, carefully walking to the elevator. Fortunately, once you reached the lobby, the staff helped you load it into the taxi.

It had been a great week.

Your boss may had had a word – or two – with you regarding Nightwing articles. And although you were supposed to write about the city, its perks, and positive side, you had focused all your attention on the absent vigilante.

You had noticed he hadn’t been around lately. At least during the last couple days. And you wondered if he was gone for good, or if it was just a temporal change. And you honestly hoped and prayed he would come back.

Honestly, you didn’t understand your… obsession. But it intrigued you. He had sparked your curiosity. And you dreamed of the day you could get to see him in real life. You dreamed of the day you could see him with your own pair of [e/c] eyes.

A light tap caught your attention, and you turned towards the taxi driver, once he announced for the third time, that you had arrived at your new place.

Apologizing for having been day dreaming, you grabbed the three boxes, politely declining the driver’s help to carry them. You paid him then, giving a generous tip because you felt like it, and struggled your way to the fourth floor.

Thankfully, you made it there on one piece. Opening the door, you pushed the three boxes inside, before closing and locking it after you.

It… smelt nice.

The window facing the study had the curtains open, and you could see the park below, and on the far end, managed to see the sea on the horizon. Grinning to yourself, you plopped down on the couch, twirling the keys over your fingers, fingertips caressing the cold metal as your eyes took in the scenery.

You did it.

A week ago, if someone had told you that you’d be living on your own, on a city you barely knew, you would have laughed at that person. You thought you didn’t have the courage to leave everything behind.

And there was a part of you that was still skeptical about the whole ordeal. Was it the right decision? Yeah? No? Maybe.

Right then, you couldn’t answer that. The only thing you knew was that, good or bad decision… it had been entirely YOURS.

All your life you had done what others wanted. Did well in school, went straight to university, graduated, got a job. But when you had given the opportunity to take a decision by yourself, to decide your own future, you had been thankful for your parents standing aside, letting you fly.

Yeah, your mother had tried to convince you to stay, and although she didn’t completely agree with your final word, both her and your father had supported you. They had sent you to a hotel, money in your account and a big, nostalgic smile.

It wasn’t as if you were on the other side of the universe, however. The train ride to Gotham would take less than an hour. But with both parents working, and you settling down into your new life, it had been impossible to visit them.

Not yet, at least. But you’d definitely look for the time to do so.

Raking a hand through your [h/c] hair, you let out a soft, content sigh. Well, you needed to unpack and get everything ready.

It took about a couple hours to get everything in order and organize your room the way you wanted. You had previously asked Dick if you could decorate the walls, and he had been cool about it, giving you permission to do whatever you wanted with your room. Within reason, of course.

Being an animal lover, you had wall stickers that you placed all over. It was plain, simple. But somehow the place made you feel at home.

It didn’t have the constant smell of apple pie your mother loved to cook, or the smell of cologne your father loved to use. But… it still made you feel at home. Whether the small, well distributed space, or the after shave, fresh smell that still surrounded the place despite the owner being gone.

It had that particular Dick Grayson smell. And it was great…

So when you saw an innocent, plain gray shirt lying around in the laundry room, which probably fell from his basket when he was picking up clean clothes, you had picked it up.

It was gigantic for you; you knew it just by looking at it, but… After looking around, as if someone could see you, you quickly tried it on. It reached mid-thigh, and slipped from one of your shoulders, but it felt… it was soft, and warm, and it smelt like him…

And you whined at yourself because what weirdo goes around stealing shirts from a person they met barely three days ago?

What person would daydream about a person they just met?

Honestly… And it didn’t help that the bastard was such a sweetheart.

Nobody could be THAT good looking and THAT nice. What was the deal? There had got to be something about him that had to be wrong.

Not that you wanted to find it. If he was a serial killer, you didn’t want to know.

Though… you hoped he wasn’t. Hopefully.

Oh. My. God.

Moving towards the couch, you eyed the flat screen TV. Huh… turning it on, you let out a soft squeak at the loud volume. Jesus! Quickly lowering it down, you flipped through the channels, until you found some interesting show on discovery channel. But after a few minutes, you felt your lids drop, and before you knew it, you were in a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick's view on what being a hero means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is super short, but I promise much more for the next one. Still, decided it would get ruined if I added more, so I left it at that. Hope you guys like it. =)

Fucking awful week it had been for him. Criminals in Blüdhaven seemed to reproduce like frigging rabbits. Every time he got a single lead on Blockbuster and/or Penguin, the crime rates would skyrocket, and he would end up having double the job; either at the police force, and being Blüdhaven’s official vigilante.

And to top it off, he had to go back to Gotham because when Bruce had gone on a trip – that probably involved Arkham and the Joker – Jason and Tim had almost destroyed the Batcave.

So he had to attend to poor Alfred’s distressed call, and being the older, most responsible adult, next to Alfred, of course, he had to put some order there.

Opening and closing the door behind him, he was startled at the sound coming from the study. Who..? Quickly moving towards the couch, realization hit him when he saw you curled, hugging a pillow, and completely out.

Right. He had forgotten you were to arrive that day. No wonder.

Moving over, he debated whether he should wake you up or… Wait.

Was… was that HIS shirt?

Taking a closer look, and given how many sizes it was bigger on you, he knew it was indeed his new favorite gray shirt.

And although he’d never admit it out loud, he decided that it definitely looked better on you than it ever did on him.

Why you were wearing it, or where you’d found it, was a mystery to him. And albeit he had thought about you breaking into his room, he immediately had ruled out the idea. He had closed it and locked it, so he highly doubted you’d try to pry the door open.

Moving a hand to lightly caress your cheek, he couldn’t help the soft chuckle as you let out a tiny sigh, before unconsciously leaning into the touch.

“Now, that’s adorable.” He whispered to himself, before standing up.

Grabbing the remote, he turned off the TV, still having an inner argument with himself. Should he wake you up, or not?

“Screw it.” Leaning down, he carefully snaked an arm under your knees, the other wrapping around your middle as he easily picked you up. “Upsy daisy.” He mumbled, cradling you against his chest as he took you to your room.

Elbowing the light switch, he turned on the light, letting out a soft, appreciation whistle. It was a nice decoration. When you had asked him if you could decorate, he imagined flowers and butterflies. But it was nice knowing you liked animals. It was a common interest the two of you could talk about.

Snapping out of it by you snuggling closer to him, he moved to the bed, gently placing you down, and pulling the covers over your form. Guess he’d forgive you for stealing his shirt. Just this one time, though.

Giving your sleeping form one last look, he left the room, closing the door after him.

It had been so long; coming home to find someone there. He couldn’t say you were waiting for him. But it was a nice feeling.

Not that Bruce, Tim or Jason needed to know, but he missed them a lot. Yeah, so he was a social butterfly, as Jason loved to call him, but sometimes he still felt lonely.

He knew, from the very beginning, that the path he chose would lead him to that; loneliness.

And Bruce gave him the speech more than once. About how there was no retribution, other than seeing your home, your city, safe.

But even when his mentor thought that it was better to cut any emotional ties with those around him, in fear those ties might ultimately cause them harm, he thought differently.

He was not Batman. He was his own person, and he had his own ideas. His own view on things.

And for him, emotional ties were important. Because behind every great hero or heroine, there was an even greater family supporting them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mornings like those you hadn't had in a while. It was different. But definitely good. Maybe this could be the start of a good friendship between you and the intriguing Richard Grayson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody. First of all, I want to thank you everybody who has given this story a chance. I hope you keep enjoying it. No more to add other than I am thoroughly loving writing Dick Grayson. Good God, he's great. New chapter that I personally enjoyed writing. Hope you guys enjoy reading. Any msitakes or errors, please let me know. I'd say once again that English is not my mother language, so it can be a bit weirdly written.

You woke up by the sun rays filtering through your partially opened curtain. Scrunching your nose, your lids fluttered open, meeting the wooden ceiling of your room.

Sitting up, you looked around. You didn’t remember much about last night. As far as memory lane went, you remembered falling asleep on the couch to some discovery channel program. But hey, you were not going to complain. Most likely; you must have walked into your room at some point during the night.

Standing up, you stretched a bit, wincing at the cracking of your bones. Ugh… okay, yeah. MAYBE you needed to move way more than you did.

When you walked out the room, various things caught your attention. The first one was the delicious smell coming from the kitchen. The second one: the sound of bacon being placed into a frying pan. And the third one was a naked, muscular, broad back meeting you first thing when you peeked into the kitchen.

Oh. Why the… My God.

“G’morning,” He called, and you couldn’t help the startled squeak. How the hell did he know you were there?! You hadn’t made a single sound! Or had you? But boy, that was some enhanced hearing!

“Good morning!” You answered back, walking into the kitchen, standing a couple prudent feet away from Dick. “T-that smells really delicious!”

Turning his head, he gave you a grin, before returning his attention to the food. “Thanks. I decided I could make some breakfast for us. Hope you like good ol’ eggs, rice and bacon.”

Your eyes widened a bit, and you couldn’t help but stutter out a ‘thank you’. It was really nice that he’d go out of his way to make breakfast for you too. “C-could I help you with anything..?”

Humming, he looked around, before pointing to one of the drawers. “You could help me set the table. Plates and glasses are on those cabinets. And cutlery is on that one top drawer,”

Nodding at his instructions, you grabbed everything you needed for the both of you, placing it on the table, smiling to yourself.

Coming back to the kitchen, you informed him you had grabbed a few groceries on your own, and asked him if he wanted some orange juice, or milk, that you had gotten.

“Orange juice for me, please.” You poured some orange juice in his glass, and got yourself a cold and very white glass of milk.

When he finished, you placed everything on the table, sitting in front of him, joining your hands to throw a quick prayer because how couldn’t you? This Sunday had started in the best way possible. “Thank you so much for the food!”

He winks and nods, grabbing a fork and immediately stabbing his bacon. “No problem at all, sweetie. Enjoy it.”

Breakfast went by fast. Between some light talk and eating. You had learned quite a few interesting things about him in that short time, though.

You had learned he worked on Blüdhaven’s police force, that he knew quite a few martial arts his father had taught him, and that he used to work at a circus when he was little. He was pretty vague about everything else, so you decided it was better to leave it at that. If there was a time he wanted to tell you more about him, you’d be there to listen.

But for now, you were happy with how things were going. He had also asked a few things about yourself, and you had revealed that before moving into Blüdhaven, you used to live in Gotham, just like he did. He learned that you could speak two more languages, and that you absolutely loved everything and anything that involved nature and animals – except when they killed each other. That was not your thing.

“So you work as a news writer, huh?” Cool. He thought it was really interesting. “What do you usually write about?” He asked, grabbing the newspaper. Well, for him, it seemed you could be the writer of some ecology column, or something.

Looking at the section he was at, you let out a soft giggle. “I’m not on that section.” You admit, grabbing the newspaper from him when he handed it. Flipping on the pages, you quickly reached the local news and actuality. “Here.” You pointed, handing him back the newspaper.

Azure hues scanned the section, before he found you name. It didn’t take him two minutes to read the article; it was short and concise, but he was pretty satisfied with it. Not that he’d ever admit it out loud, though.“You… you decided to write about Nightwing?”

Giving a sheepish smile, you nodded.

“When they hired me, they wanted the view of an outsider on Blüdhaven, so they wanted me to write about my perception of the city. I didn’t have the best references about it. People even told me it was worse than Gotham at times. But then again, I still moved in here. Because if there’s something in this city that Gotham lacks, that is opportunities.” You explained, shrugging softly. “I guess… I was just the shadow of someone else there. And I wanted to be on the spotlight. Kind of. I-I mean! F-figuratively speaking. I don’t enjoy being in the spotlight but… yeah. I’ll shut up right about now…”

Dick stared at you, surprised, confused, but ultimately content. He perfectly understood your reasoning. Especially the part of being somebody else’s shadow.

Now, he couldn’t say he moved in there so he could be famous. So he could be recognized and called a vigilante.

It was freedom.

He wasn’t Batman. He very well knew he could potentially BECOME Batman.

But did he want to? He couldn’t really answer that. Maybe ‘want’ would not be the word he’d use.

But in any case… he felt… like himself. And he wouldn’t change it for anything. But of course, should Bruce need him, he wouldn’t think twice about it and would return in a heartbeat. But as long as it didn’t happen… he was perfectly happy in Blüdhaven.

“Gotcha. I guess you and I have similar reasons for coming ‘ere, huh?” Standing up, he grabs all the dishes, moving back to the kitchen.

Drinking your milk as fast as you could, you stopped him before he could reach the sink, grabbing the dishes from him. “I-I’d do it!”

He was a bit startled, looking at his empty hands, before looking at your blushing face. “Hey, it’s no biggie,” He chuckled then, before reaching once again for the plates, but you had stepped back before he could grab them. Raising an eyebrow, he crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at you. “So you’ll be a stubborn one, huh?”

You nodded, before grinning softly. Hey, he cooked, the least you could do was clean. “I’ll take care of it, don’t worry Dick!”

“Okay, fine.” You won. He gave up. Though, if he wanted to fight you for it, you wouldn’t have a chance. You were… _tiny_. Well, at least compared to him. Moving to the side wall, he leaned against it, making idle talk as you washed the dishes.

You hummed a soft melody then, alternating between that and listening to him, and you had finished in no time at all. Oh yeah! You placed all the clean dishes in their respective drawers, before turning to him. “See? That was fast!”

“Yeah,” He admitted, shrugging, before tilting his head, feeling a smirk crawl to his lips. “Oh, by the way, I have to admit you looked cute while sleeping.” He started, adoring how your cheeks went from pink to red in a matter of seconds.

“Wh… I… what?” Oh my God.

“Mhm. Ah, I took you to bed, in case you were wondering. I know the couch is comfortable and all, but it is really not the best place to sleep, y’know?”

Was he messing with you? Because if he was, well… it was working. And you were painfully aware of the all body blush. Your face was burning, and you were wondering what kind of satisfaction he got from making you blush.

“I… t…thanks…” You finished lamely.

“Oh, and that is one very nice shirt you got there, sweetcheeks.”

Looking down at yourself, you let out a light gasp, before meeting his amused eyes. “I’m SO sorry Dick! I wasn’t… I wasn’t planning on taking it or anything! I just s-saw it there and… I-I’m sorry, I really don’t go around stealing r-random people’s shirts!” You hurried to explain, quickly grabbing the shirt to take it off.

He knew what you were doing, and in a couple quick, long strides, he was right in front of you. Big hands were on your shoulders, preventing you from taking it off. “Easy there, [Name]. Sweetie, I was just messing with you.” He clarified, lightly tapping your forehead. “Keep it, babe. I’ve got a ton more.”

Ugh… you felt a bit mortified, but when you saw his expression soften, you had calmed down. Letting out a soft sigh, you craned your neck to look up at him. “T-thank you… But I really have no problem in returning it… I’m sorry I took it without your permission.”

Honestly… You were adorable. Looking as if you drowned in his shirt with how big it looked… “Well, I really have no problem with you keeping it,” He easily admitted, winking. “And I’m serious, [Name]. I was just joking. I don’t mind if you keep it, yeah?”

Okay… if he insisted. “Thank you.” You smiled then.

Oh, there it was; that beautiful smile. “Nice.” Stepping away from you, he grabbed his towel from the back of the couch, slinging it over his shoulder before turning to look at you. “I have to step out for a bit. Need to hand in some reports. I’ll see you later, yeah?”

Nodding, you watched him disappear into his room. Oh my God. That was quite the most interesting morning you had had in a while. Moving back to your own room, you dropped on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Well, might as well get ready, too. Not that you needed to work or anything – least not until tomorrow, but you could always go around town and take a look. You haven’t really had time to look around, stuck between work and moving out the hotel the whole week.

Yeah, that sounded like a plan.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One unlucky night leads to a fateful meeting.  
> But maybe luck was a little bit on your side, after all. And you had learned your lesson.   
> Never, ever, would you stay extra hours at your workplace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Nightwing story, so it was about time he appeared, right? Okay, his introduction could've been much more epic, but I suck at writing epic things, so here you go a cliché entrance of our beloved here. I hope you like it, and once again, thank you so much to the people that have taken their time to read this story :)

Oh, why did you have to be so utterly unlucky?

And as a few of your co-workers verbally expressed their discontent with the situation, you couldn’t help but resign yourself to it.

There had been a major power loss around the neighborhood your workplace was located. So with no computers, internet or electricity to work with, you spent your morning in the archives, trying to get as much information of tourism in Blüdhaven.

Yeah, when your boss had asked you to write some sort of guide of interesting places, you knew it was going to be a challenge. Yeah, there were a couple old history museums, and the planetarium. But other than that, tourism was definitely not Blüdhaven’s strength.

And fate would be a bastard. Because one hour before your shift ended, the power had returned. And your boss had kindly asked all of you to stay a few extra hours to make up for the lost time.

You couldn’t refuse, really. A few of your work friends had, given they already had plans, or some worked night jobs. But you were the newest employee, and if you wanted to give a good impression, the least you could do was show that you really cared for and wanted this job.

So by eight in the night, you had a nice article on what places to visit. It hadn’t been easy, but you thought it’d help decrease the city’s bad reputation. At least to a point, you weren’t a magician either. There was only so much you could do. But hey, you were trying.

Quickly grabbing your purse and jacket, you made your way to the main floor, wincing at the cold wind that cut through your clothes, straight to your bones. My God, was it cold!

With clattering teeth, you walked down the street, hugging yourself and rubbing your arms up and down in an attempt to get warm.

The bus station was nearly empty. And you couldn’t decide whether you were grateful with that, or not.

At least, you would get a seat on the bus, and have a comfortable ride… but it was kind of scary.

There was only an old man, a couple, and a shady looking guy.

You were not one to judge, but you figured it was better safe than sorry. So you stood as far away from the guy as possible.

Lightly huffing, you wondered just how long it would take the bus to arrive. You were freezing, you were tired, and you had to wake up early the next day. Just how much more miserable did you have to be? It had been at least a quarter hour.

And the blinking light from the light post above was really irritating you. You glared at it, as if blaming it for your bad luck.

Though, you wished you could take your words back as soon as the light went out, leaving you in partial darkness. You scooted closer to the old man and the couple, that were starting to look around suspiciously. As if waiting for someone to jump at them any moment.

That couldn’t be good.

“Excuse me,” You called, startling the girl holding the guy’s hand. “Do you know at what time the bus passes..?”

Turning to you, the couple gave you a quick look, before the guy shrugged. “Ah, every ten minutes, Miss. But we’ve been here for half an hour now. But I also heard rumors about gangs around the place, so the busses are passing less and less."

Oh my God. Wonderful. NOT. You thanked him for the information, before internally groaning. Really? Now you were stuck there, cold, hungry and tired, because there were gangs?

Wait… there were gangs..?

And as if life hadn’t been enough of a bitch to you today, you saw a group of hooded figures, heading straight in your direction.

Oh hell no.

The couple didn’t waste any time, and the guy was tugging on his girlfriend’s hand, making a run away from the place.

You were about to do the same, when three of the men dashed after them. You watched with a horrified expression as they were tackled to the ground, being quickly subdued.

Grabbing your phone, you tried to make a quick call for the police, when it was snatched from behind. Turning around, you didn’t even ask; you swung your purse with as much force as you could, knocking the guy to the ground.

And then you ran.

You heard quick, heavy steps behind you, and you knew it wasn’t only one guy following you. Dammit. You were in a clear disadvantage. But you didn’t know the place very well, and it was your first week, and you were desperate.

So when you came to painful halt against a brick wall, right into the alley you had darted to, you realized it was over.

Punching the wall in pure frustration, you turned around, looking like a deer caught in headlights. Your chest rose up and down, heaving as you tried to recover your breath.

The three men had stopped running, too, now smirking beneath the hoodies covering their eyes.

A shiny object in one of their hands caught your attention, and you unconsciously gulped at the sight of the pocket knife.

No…

You didn’t know what you wanted to happen. Was it better to just hope they didn’t kill you? But God knew what they’d do to you if they didn’t… You almost were siding with the ‘quick death’ idea. That, if they granted you a quick, painless death.

Unlikely, but hey, wishing is allowed.

Not that you liked any of the options, though.

You glared at one of them, trying to struggle as he grabbed your wrist, forcefully pulling you towards them.

You threw a punch and a few kicks, satisfied with the pained groans coming from them. Though, you couldn’t bask in your small victory when you felt a fist connect with your cheek, and a foot land on your stomach. You fell to the ground, ready to go at it if you needed to.

Oh, you were not going to go down without a fight.

Mustering all the strength you could, you threw your purse at one of them, happy when it smashed against his face. He had it coming!

But now they were angry.

One of them stepped closer, showing you the pocket knife. “Oh, you asked for it, woman. How about we have some fun, huh?”

“How about no?”

Snapping your head towards the voice, you saw a black cladded figure jump from above, landing right in front of you, twirling in his hands what you thought were… escrima sticks?

He was giving his back to you, but you could make out the faint blue markings that composed his logo.

Oh no way!

Nightwing?!

If you weren’t in pain, and scared, and cold, this would’ve been the best day of your life!

You quickly stood up, backing away from the fight, watching the versatile vigilante land a beating on those hooded men. And you couldn’t help but notice how… quirky he was. It was as if he was enjoying teasing them. Calling them too slow, or telling them that they hit like a little girl.

And the worst – or maybe best – part was that he had the arguments to back it up.

They couldn’t get a single hit on him, and by the time you realized what was happening, all three of them were laying on the floor unconscious.

Looking into his mask, you accepted the offered hand, walking on shaky legs. “T-thank you so much!” You breathed, letting out the air you didn’t know you had been holding, before looking up at him.

“It’s not a problem. You okay? That doesn’t look pretty…” He commented, pointing to the bruise forming on your cheek.

Ugh… lightly touching it, you winced, before shaking your head. “I’ll survive. It’s nothing too serious, really!” God, you couldn’t stop staring. Black and blue were definitely his colors. And it was the first time you saw him in person! You had dreamed about this moment!

He blinked, looking down at you. You were practically _beaming_ at him. When you had told him he had intrigued you, you were not joking.

Startled by your gasp, he hastily grabbed your arms, giving you a quick once over. Were you hurt? “Hey! Everything alright?”

You shook your head, and pointed in the direction you had come. “T-there was a couple and an old man with me back there! T-they were also attacked!” You had almost forgotten about them. But if there was a possibility to help them…

He was hesitant for a second, frowning down at you. “I…”

“Please go!” You didn’t know why he was so adamant about staying, but he was a hero. He had already saved you; he needed to save them too. If he could… “Please…” You added, softer this time, before giving him a smile. “Thank you for being my knight in shining… ah… black and blue armor! I owe you one.”

What could he say to that? He nodded then, lips curling into a smirk. “Anytime. Just be more careful, yeah?”

He finally hurried towards where you had mentioned. Though it didn’t sit well with him leaving you alone like that. He couldn’t do anything but swallow the lump in his throat as he reached the bus station.

The goons were still there, probably waiting for the guys he had knocked out. And honestly, he wanted to let out some steam…

He didn’t have any mercy with them, and within minutes, the other three men were lying unconscious on the ground. He quickly nodded at the couple and at the grandpa thanking him, throwing a smile here and there, before walking away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One particular night in which Richard Grayson reflects about his strenghts and weaknesses. And he has come to realize than one greatest strenght can also be one greatest weakness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I thank everybody that has taken the time to read this story. To all you guys, I also really, really appreciate your comments. I hope you guys keep enjoying this. Love you all, and happy reading ^-^

He honestly didn’t know what to think.

It was a bit upsetting.

Although he had saved you, the hematoma forming on your cheek was a reminder that he could have done better. He had absolutely no clue why it bothered him so much. He guessed you had grown on him a little. You were nice company, and it felt great having someone to come home to.

Whenever he came home after midnight, he always found food and a little note telling him that you hoped he had had a wonderful day at work kicking bad guys’ asses.

Whether it was take out, or food prepared by you… it was a nice gesture.

And whenever he could come home early, you would eat dinner together. And he found himself wrapped in all kinds of silly conversations. But he thoroughly enjoyed them.

For him, it was a sort of stress reliever. Being able to be silly, and chat the night away talking about everything and anything at the same time.

It had barely been a week, but he couldn’t deny the soft spot he had for you.

Letting out a soft sigh, he stared at himself in the mirror. He had a few bruises. Of course… fighting crime both day and night had its downs.

Not that he minded. He was used to them.

That until you had walked on him trying to stitch a particular large cut on his side. It wasn’t deep, but it was long. Way more alarming than it needed to be. And you had freaked out; new phone in hand ready to call an ambulance.

You had told him you were going to be late, and he certainly didn’t expect you home. It turned out your boss had been merciful and had sent all of you home early, after seeing the purplish bruise on your from days before.

So when he heard your purse dropping and turned to meet trembling lips and eyes filled with unshed tears, he realized he needed to be more careful.

He was reckless and impulsive by nature.

He took brash decisions, and although he had the brains, he tended to use his muscle more.

But he was so accustomed to Jason and Tim. And they were as impetuous as he was, if not more. Bruce was the cool head. Always composed and calm. He was the weight on the other side of the balance. And there was always stability, no matter how much both sides pulled and pushed… they were always in sync with each other.

However… he was on his own. And he had to find that equilibrium by himself.

He noticed he had been pulling too much on one side. He was reckless, careless.

_Fearless._

And that was his biggest strength… but it was also his greatest weakness.

He had been trained by and had trained with people that were not scared of anything.

He was not afraid of dying. And he was well aware that what he had been doing, every day for the past years, was putting his life in the line.

One wrong move and he’d be gone.

But it never scared him.

Because if he died, he would die a hero.

Yet… yet he couldn’t help but babble an apology as you helped him clean and disinfect the wound.

He scolded himself, because he hadn’t realized what the impact on others would be.

He had lost his family… but he had a father. And a grandfather and a couple younger brothers that he loved to death.

Wouldn’t they hurt if he died? The thought had never crossed his mind until then. But he knew that it would hurt him, to no end, the loss of any of them.

So naturally, he believed that it would hurt them too.

Just like it would hurt you.

Man… what was happening to him?

He needed to put in practice some of what he had learned from Bruce.

“Is it hurting, Dick?” You had asked. He had been unusually quiet. You knew working at the police force came with its risks, but this had been a bit too much for you.

Fortunately, it hadn’t been as bad as you had initially thought.

He shook his head then, putting his discarded shirt back on, wincing a bit at the harsh movement. Fuck, that might have hurt a little bit. “It’s nothing I can’t handle, sweetie. Thanks for your help,”

You nodded, giving him a soft smile as you cleaned everything up, putting the bandages, gauze and disinfectant back into the first aid kit box.

“You’re welcome!” You chirped, placing the box back into the cabinet, before turning to him, helping him up.

He rolled his eyes playfully, gently pulling away. “It was just a cut, [Name]. I’m not crippled.”

Well, you could never be too careful. Lightly shrugging, you allowed him space, walking back into the living room, and moving to the kitchen.

“Just relax!” You called from there. “I’ll prepare something for dinner, alrighty?”

It was the least you could do. However, things were not going as planned.

There was absolutely nothing, besides a couple soda cans and a little container of leftovers. But it wasn’t enough, and you had completely forgotten to go grocery shopping, even though you had promised Dick you would take care of it. Well, it was not too late, anyway!

Grabbing your purse, you quickly made your way to the door.

Thought before you could open it, there was a big hand closing around your wrist, preventing you from opening the door.

Blinking, you looked up at the owner of said hand, offering a sheepish smile. “Ah, I forgot to grab some groceries on the way home. Don’t worry, though! I won’t take long!”

“Absolutely not,” He breathed, shaking his head. “Sweetie, it’s late, it’s dark. We can go together tomorrow. But I won’t let you go out alone.”

Not since what happened that night… He had gotten to you just in time. Yet, whenever he looked at your face, and saw the bruise... He didn’t know why. But it had bothered him much more than he imagined. And he had become really protective of you since then.

God, he could be one stubborn little bastard at times.

Lightly patting the hand grabbing yours with your free hand, you smiled up at him. “Look, Dick. We don’t have time for this. The faster I leave, the faster I return. Besides, the mini market is like… half a block away.”

“Not a chance.” He muttered, pulling you to him, reaching to double lock the door, as if making a statement.

Okay, fine! You huffed, and sighed.

“Okay, I guess we’re ordering pizza, then.”

Eh, maybe before thinking about going out alone, at night, you could’ve called for a pizza…

“That sounds more like it,” He conceded, before dropping on the couch, groaning when he realized he had been too rough.

You were at his side in seconds, painkillers in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. “Ay mister, you’ve got to be more careful, okay? Please?”

He nodded, taking the painkillers in one long sip of water. “Thanks sweetie. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” He grinned cheekily, adding a wink.

You giggled, and shrugged. “Ah, you’d have a pretty NOT-nice looking gash on your side.”

He laughed at the joke, before wincing. Okay, no laughing for him. “Yeah, well. I really appreciate your help.”

“C'mon… That's what friends are for, right Dick?”

Friends… he smiled softly, before turning his attention to the TV, lips curling into a frown when the news reporter talked about how a load of guns had disappeared from the docks.

No, fuck…

Tch. He growled, before smashing his hand against the wooden nightstand next to the couch. Looking at him, you gave a worried look. “Y-you okay?”

“It’s nothing.” He answered on a clipped tone, azure orbs glaring at the TV.

“Hey,” You called softly, hesitantly reaching one hand for his, squeezing softly. “it’ll be alright… okay? I know it might not look too good now… but we have our heroes.”

He snorted, squeezing back. “Nightwing?”

“Yeah. But I was actually thinking about this really nice guy that works at the police force and that is always doing his best to keep the city safe.”

Oh…

Lightly clearing his throat, maybe in a vain attempt to hide his blush, he couldn’t stop the smile tugging on his lips.

He definitely looked forward to more moments like those.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An adventurous day awaits. And both you and dear Richard Grayson might come to some realizations regarding the place you call home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year to everybody! I'm sorry I couldn't update before. I went to a little trip with my family. Anyway, this chapter is more like a little bonding between our main characters, and some build up for the romance. It'll get there. Some day XD. Love you guys, and once again, I really appreciate everybody who has taken the time to read this story. Also, thank you guys in the comments, they mean a lot to me. I hope you all enjoy this chapter :) <3

You read, time after time, the mail that your parents had sent you.

To be honest, you were truly happy for them. Your father absolutely loved buying those lottery tickets, and in twenty years, he had won nothing. Well, at least until then.

It seemed he had won a cruise for two people, with everything included for a week.

You were not rich, or anything of the sort, but you couldn’t complain. You always had food in the table, a roof over your head, and a loving family. But you couldn’t really afford a luxurious lifestyle either.

So for your parents to win a cruise, everything included, for a week? God.

Okay, you were not going to lie. You were a tiny bit jealous. Though the joy you felt completely shadowed that.

It was a bit disappointing, though. You had been planning to go visit them during that weekend.

Not that you were going to let that deter your mood. You had written plenty of articles about interesting places in Blüdhaven, but you had visited none. It was going to be an exploring weekend for you. Besides, being in the field gave you a whole new perspective you could write about, even if it was about the same place.

So you made yourself a tiny traveler’s guide with all the information you had gotten for your articles, and on Saturday morning, you were ready to leave.

Of course, you didn’t count with the delay certain policeman would cause you.

When you were ready to leave, all showered and dressed in comfortable, but nice clothes, you had found Dick in the kitchen, still without a shirt and wearing only sweatpants, or as he liked to call them; his pajamas.

For some reason, you hadn’t thought about inviting him. You… to you, he didn’t really look like the kind of guy that would spend his weekends visiting natural parks or museums of any sort. He was… wild, strong, and had that spirit that screamed freedom… That, adding that he had not spent much weekends at home. He was either out working, and the couple times he was free, he had gone to Gotham.

So you found it strange to see him still in his pajamas.

Yet, when he had placed breakfast for you at the table, you couldn’t reject it, and sat down to eat with him.

Between your conversations, you had mentioned you wanted to go around Blüdhaven, but it hadn’t occurred to you that you could invite him.

Honestly, you were prepared for him to say he already had plans, or that he was needed at work. But when he had immediately agreed, you were speechless, happy, but speechless.

And thus, you had to wait for him to get showered and ready. Though once ready, he did not disappoint.

It was a warm day, so he was using a simply button up black shirt, blue jeans and black tennis shoes.

Without even thinking, your hand reached for his bicep, lightly poking the muscle. Okay, this boy was _buff_.

Dick could only chuckle, adding a wink and flexing his arm. “Like what you feel?”

Oh my dear God…

Immediately taking your hand back, you shook your head, in a hurry. “O-oh my God! I did NOT just do that! I-I’m so sorry Dick! I-it looked big, so I… I just wanted to touch it for some reason! I mean! I normally don’t go around touching people’s arms or anything..!”

And you kept going on, and on. Plus Dick didn’t have the heart to stop your rant. Mainly because -not that he would ever admit it to anyone- it was one of your cutest traits ever. He adored your personality. You were shy, a bit skittish, but not afraid to speak your mind. There was no denying he felt drawn to it… to you. And if it were for him, he’d gladly sit and listen to your rambling about everything and anything for hours.

He grabbed your shoulders then, before gently poking your forehead. “Take it easy, [Name], would ya? Let’s go. We don’t want to miss the train!”

And before you could open your mouth to retort any sort of apology, your hand was held by a much bigger one, and soon you were being pulled towards the station.

“W-wait..!” You had to jog to keep up with him, before he realized he had been dragging you.

“Oh, shit! Sorry sweetie.”

Lightly giggling, and a little out of breath, you shook your head. “Oh no, it’s okay! I’m… not in the best shape…” You admitted, looking around, before standing behind the line waiting for the train to arrive.

“So,” Dick started, looking around, rubbing his neck with a hand. “Where are we going first, anyway?”

Opening your purse and rummaging through it, you took out the little notepad you always carried with you. “Ah, what about the Mealtide Park? We can get down in the fourth stop, and it’s a walk of about fifteen minutes to there. That okay?”

Mealtide Park? He didn’t remember ever going there. Perhaps it could be an interesting place.

Boarding the train, he was surprised to see how busy it was. There were plenty of people that liked getting up early, huh?

Then again, he wouldn’t know. He hadn’t spent many weekends there, either.

Hearing a light groan coming from you, he looked down, trying not to chuckle at the way you were struggling to reach the hand holding bar. It wasn’t as if you couldn’t grab it, though. You could, but he could tell you were a little uncomfortable in that position.

“Grab onto me,” He suggested then, grinning widely at the immediate blush coating your cheeks. Why did you have to be so adorable?

You shook your head. “No… thank you. I’m okay like this, don’t worry!” You lied. And as life would have it, the train came to a sudden halt, sending you crashing right into your friend’s chest.

Why did it have to happen to you?

Looking up at him, you were quick to mumble a string of apologies, aware of the painful red on your cheeks and trying to pull away from him. You really didn’t mean to invade his personal space.

“Hey,” He whispered, placing his free hand on your shoulder, giving a soft squeeze. “Don’t worry about it. It’s alright.” He wrapped an arm around your waist then, holding you in place. “There. Is it better now?”

“I… ah… t-thank you, yes.” Fine. You gave in, giving a soft, appreciative smile. You weren’t small; at least you didn’t think so. You were just your average height. But you had always struggled with hand holding bars. It wasn’t as if you weren’t used to them. But the train was busy, and the vertical bars you’d normally use were already taken, leaving you the ones in the least comfortable spot.

When you guys reached your stop, you practically leaped out of the train, grinning to yourself. Freedom, at least!

Not that you would deny you enjoyed the warmth your companion provided… or the sense of security… You had never felt so… tiny. Yet… so safe.

As you walked out of the underground station, you noticed there were considerably less people than before. You wondered if people in Blüdhaven ever took the time to look around their home.

Walking side by side with Dick, you were quick to start a conversation, telling him what you had seen and researched about the park.

“I read that on the weekends, it is filled with tons of food stalls. One for every liking too. Italian, Mexican, Chinese. You name it! And it also helps that the beach is five minutes from the park! Though people don’t visit it as often, because there have been rumors of gangs going around the place.”

At the mention of gangs, he couldn’t help but look around. He was determined to enjoy the day. But that didn’t mean he had to let his guard down. It was a public place, fairly filled with people, but still. There were indeed a few shady looking persons, and the ugly graffiti on some walls certainly took some beauty from the park, but he was sure it was going to go well.

And what you had mentioned was true. There were lots food stands around the park’s fountain. It was… lively. He wondered if it was like that every weekend. There were also a couple chess tables around, and quite a few elderly men were playing the silent game.

There was also a music group. People often stopped and listened, before dropping a few coins for them.

He had never been to such place before. But it was a nice change. He wasn’t used to going out with friends.

Granted… there was Tim, Jason and Barbara to hang around, but there weren’t many sites to visit like this in Gotham. Their hangouts normally consisted in a movie night in the Batcave. Or the theater room that one time Tim spilled a whole bunch of popcorn over the Batcomputer. Bruce was NOT happy.

Sitting down at a park bench, he realized he had never really stopped to enjoy the little things. His life wasn’t easy… fighting crime day and night… risking his life every time.

But when he saw you laugh happily at a couple kids running around; content, free, and without fear… he realized it was worth it. This city… even if in Gotham’s shadow, was worth saving. And he was adamant that he was going to do it.

One way or another.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One day out can teach you a lot about one person. But in teaching you will learn... and in learning, you will teach. Mutual feelings, one goal. Perhaps, you're finally finding where you have always belonged to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Today I bring you a new chapter that I hope you all enjoy :)!! Once again, thank you everybody that has given this story a chance. That makes me really, really happy. Also, thank you all for leaving your feedback and comments. Those are greatly appreciated. One big bear hug to you all, and I wish you a happy reading :D

“Did you like it?” You asked, watching Dick munch on a piece of sushi.

Said man swallowed the food in his mouth, pouting. “I’ve… uh,” He cleared his throat then, drinking some soda to help with it. “I’ve had… better.” He answered at last, gingerly pushing the sushi box towards your form. “If you want those, feel free to eat them all.”

A soft giggle left your lips then, and you couldn’t help but shake your head playfully.

After walking around the park, and visiting a couple museums, you two had decided on trying out the different foods that the park stalls offered.

You had suggested starting with something light, and thought it was a good idea to grab some Sushi from the Japanese place.

Dick had agreed with you, though when he realized every recipe included fish, raw fish, he hadn’t been as eager. You had gotten a simply six-piece pack, and had offered him the first bite. Although you knew he wasn’t much of a fan as soon as he chewed on the first piece. He had murmured something about a penguin and bad experience with fish.

Grabbing the box from him, you ate the remaining pieces. In your opinion, they were good, and you were glad you didn’t waste your money on them. However, you still wanted to try some more things.

The Mexican and Greek stall had caught your attention earlier, and you knew Dick had his eye set on the Turkish one.

“What do you feel like getting now?” You asked, looking around. “Why don’t we go get some kebabs?”

The proposal sounded good to him, so he nodded his head. “Yeah. That sounds good. I’d like me some meat!” He grinned, grabbing your hand and tugging you towards the small cart. He gave the vendor an Oscar winning smile, pointing to what he wanted on the menu, lifting his index and middle finger to signal he wanted two portions.

It seemed as if he were having fun. The museums were filled with interesting stories, though unfortunately, all of them had been smeared by the mafia, somehow. Corruption in Blüdhaven was not a new thing. It had been eating at the city for centuries. However, it had been a fruitful visit. The museums had been surprisingly full, and you wondered if somehow the city was slowly changing for good.

Dick had been very concentrated on the guide’s explanations, often asking questions about the city’s organization and its political moves. It was not a secret for any citizen that the city’s major was involved in quite a few shady businesses. But he had so much power, it was almost impossible to fight against him.

Dick had mentioned before that some of his ‘partners’ were involved with the mafia. But he didn’t have enough proof to turn them in yet. And even then… he knew the police force was plagued with gangsters, corrupt and nefarious people. But he believed it was possible to change that.

As many fraudulent people there were, there were also honest, righteous people. Willing to sacrifice and give their everything for the common benefit.

Snapping out of your thoughts, you grabbed the tiny container with your food when handed to you. “Oh! Thank you!”

You grinned up at him, before sitting at nearby bench, taking a bite of the meat. It was absolutely delicious! You had never had Turkish food before.

A chuckle coming from beside you caught your attention. Turning your head, you looked up at him, tilting your head to the side. He shook his head then, “It’s nothing… You just…” He trailed, reaching with his thumb to gently wipe away some sauce from your lip, winking at you. “There you go.”

An immediate blush dusted your cheeks before you could comprehend what was even happening. You stuttered out a thank you, making sure to ear the kebab much more carefully. It didn’t take long for you two to finish, placing the empty containers on one of the trash cans available around the park.

“Well, that was good,” You commented, taking a sip from your soda. It was getting late, but there was one last place you were dying to visit. “Hey, um… w-would you mind going to the beach..? Just for a bit!” You assured.

Yeah, the sun was setting, but you really wanted to just… feel the sand beneath your feet. You hadn’t brought a swimming suit with you, but your feet you could dip in the water.

The beach..? He looked up at the sky, pinks, yellows and oranges painting the clouds. The sun was about to set, but if that’s what you wanted… he was okay with it. “Alright. That sounds like a plan.”

A warm smile immediately replaced your expectant face, and you nodded your head happily. “Thank you!” You practically beamed, grabbing his hand and almost dragging the bigger male behind you.

God… you didn’t have many opportunities to visit Gotham beaches. Besides, those weren’t the prettiest, cleanest beaches around, either. You were more likely to catch an infection there than see a single fish. But this was different. Blüdhaven had a very important port, and even if because of the mafia, given many shiploads were for them, the beaches were kept clean and well cared.

As soon as your feet touched the sand, you took off your tennis and socks, quietly giggling. God, it’s been ages since you’ve touched the sand barefoot. It felt… nice.

You quickly moved to the sea, rolling up your jeans, allowing the waves to hit your skin. Dick watched carefully, azure eyes taking in your form.

You were so… different.

He was so used to people like Bruce, Tim, Jason. Even Barbara.

But you gave him such a sense of… freedom, perhaps?

He could use something different in lieu of ‘freedom’, but… that was the most accurate word he could think of. With you, he didn’t have to be the vigilante. He didn’t have to be the policeman. He was just… himself.

Letting out a soft sigh, he followed, standing a prudent distance away from the sea. He didn’t want his shoes to get wet.

You had never seen the sunset in a beautiful place like that. It was… truly amazing. God, you were so lucky…

Turning around, ready to ask Dick if he was enjoying himself, you couldn’t help but notice where his undivided attention was.

It was not in the vast, seemingly unending ocean. It was not on the beautiful contrast of the sky and the water. It was not on the beautiful canvas the sun painted. It was on you.

And despite the circumstances, you couldn’t pull away from his eyes. It seemed as if they were searching your very own soul. For what? You didn’t know exactly. And you didn’t know whether you wanted him to find whatever he was looking for or not.

“Dick..?” You called softly, hesitantly reaching a hand towards him. His instant reaction was to grasp it, holding your hand in his, squeezing it softly.

That… was different. It was such an intimate moment, you didn’t know holding someone’s hand would feel so… _right_.

He honestly didn’t know what took over him. He just couldn’t stop staring at you; a longing look that begged for attention. And when you had turned around, outstretching a hand towards him, he had taken it without wavering.

There was a hidden symbolism in the gesture. Regardless of no words being spoken, he could see them reflected in your eyes.

‘ _I am here for you_.’

And he couldn’t help but feel that he had finally found the place he belonged to.

‘ _Me too_.’


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is the most strict teacher you would ever encounter. Albeit it is a wise one. And you learn not to question why bad things happen to good people. Perhaps, everything happens for a reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, yeah. I am ALIVE. I'm a surivivor victim. And I want to apologize for taking forever to update the story. I started the chapter and hadn't gotten around to ever finish it until today. This may be what you call a 'filler' chapter, but serves a purpose of further showing the relationship between our lovely Nightwing and the Reader. As always, I hope you enjoy! Also, thank you so much to all the people that have taken their time to read, comment and kudo this story. I'm truly blessed to have so many people liking it. I really appreciate it. <3

Life… really hated you some times.

Okay, perhaps you were being a little bit dramatic. It wasn’t as if something like this only happened to you.

After going to the beach, you two had somehow ended up caught under the merciless rainy clouds. You had seen quite a few news reports that same morning, where every single weather lady or man had proclaimed that there was not going to be a single drop of water falling that day.

But alas, life’s a strict teacher. You had to learn the hard way not to trust any of those predictions for they were not hundred percent accurate.

So here you found yourself, Monday morning, sick, and stuck in your shared apartment.

Colds were never really hard to deal with for you. A couple vitamin-c tablets and a nice orange juice in the morning gave you enough strength to get through the day.

In fact, you even went to work. Though as soon as your boss was informed that you had a cold, she had kicked you out and sent you home. One of your coworkers had told you your boss was pretty prone to catching colds, and that was why she was a tad bit paranoid.

Either way, you still took a few of the files you were supposed to be working on and brought them home with you.

You winced then, groaning loudly at the sudden headache. Maybe it was better to be home, despite everything.

Colds had never brought you down, but this particular one was really giving you a run for your money. Your nose was stuffed; your throat was sore, your lids felt heavy, you had an upset stomach, and as if that wasn’t enough, now you had a headache.

It wasn’t really fair. And you wondered if perhaps Blüdhaven’s air was a bit more contaminated than Gotham’s, and that was why you were having a hard time dealing with your cold.

Normally, you didn’t like depending on anyone. Life had taught you not to. But you also knew that even the strongest person needed help from time to time. That was not to say you considered yourself THE strongest person. But… you were pretty happy with how hardworking and autonomous you were.

Though, you really needed some painkillers, and you felt so under the weather to go out on your own. And regardless of your best judgement, you found yourself texting your flat mate and asking him if he minded grabbing a few aspirins and pills for you.

And a couple seconds after the message, your phone vibrated with an incoming call. Blinking, you quickly answered, smiling softly.

“Hey!” You croaked, making a face at your raspy voice, trying to ignore it. “I’m sorry to bother you, Dick… would you mind going to the drugstore for me?”

He frowned a bit, lightly sighing over the phone. “Hey you. And no, not at all. You sound… are you okay?” He knew you had a cold, but when he had left for work that morning, you seemed pretty lively and okay. Right now, however, you didn’t sound alright.

“Yah,” You mumbled, rubbing your eyes, letting out a soft whimper, before pulling the phone away in favor of blowing your nose. Ugh… groaning, you quickly returned it to your ear, lightly clearing your throat. “Uh… s-sorry about that it’s… yeah. I’m ‘kay. Just need some pills…”

“You’re a terrible liar, [Name].” He growled, shaking his head in disbelief. “Just… Give me half an hour.” And before you could open your mouth to protest, he had the balls to hang up on you.

You shrieked indignantly, pouting at the phone. That was NOT nice! Throwing your phone on the other end of the couch you were using to nest, you curled around the blankets. Albeit you felt a bit guilty Dick was leaving work to bring you what you needed… You felt happy he had prioritized your health first. Wearing a tiny smile then, your lids closed before you could stop them.

*-*-*-*

He scanned the shelves, quickly grabbing some cough syrup, and placing it on the cart along the painkillers, vitamins, water and snacks.

Well, he hoped this was enough. He had also bought some fruits and enough ingredients for some chicken soup.

Quickly driving home, he took the stairs two at a time, until he reached the apartment. He didn’t bother on knocking to make his presence known. Instead, he used his key and opened the door.

He placed the plastic bags in the counter by the kitchen, before moving to your room to check on you. However, he spotted you napping on the living room, and sighed in relief. It seemed you were getting some rest, at least.

When he had talked to you over the phone, it sounded as if you really needed it. Going to his room, he grabbed a thermometer, before walking back to the living room. Kneeling in front of you, he carefully brushed your bangs to the side, placing his palm over your forehead, frowning a bit. Yeah, you definitely had a fever.

As carefully as he could, he placed the thermometer in your mouth, waiting a few seconds before it beeped. And as he suspected, you had a fever indeed. It wasn’t really high, but better safe than sorry.

His feet carried him to the kitchen, and he made quick work of the groceries he had brought. Of course, before he started to prepare anything, he had left by the coffee table a bottle of water and some painkillers in case you needed them once you woke up.

*-*-*-*

You woke up thanks to a light coughing fit. Sitting up, you grabbed the water bottle and took a few sips. The cold liquid felt like heaven going down your sore throat, and a wave of relief washed over you.

Sighing softly, you rubbed your eyes, before looking around, still a bit disoriented from sleep.

The painkillers and the bottle gave you the idea that Dick was home, and the sounds coming from the kitchen only served to support that thought.

Standing up slowly, you took your time deciding what to do. You felt dizzy, but you figured moving around for a bit wasn’t going to do any bad. Slowly walking towards the kitchen, still with your blanket tightly wrapped around your form, you peeked inside.

Although your nose was stuffed, you could catch the delicious smell of chicken and noodles. Your stomach lightly rumbled, and a dark blush coated your cheeks when the bigger male turned to you, a light chuckle leaving his lips.

“Well, hello there.” He greeted, pointing towards the table. “Why don’t you sit down? I’m about to finish.”

You nodded mutely, not trusting your voice, and sat down on the table. Your face felt as if it was on fire, yet you couldn’t find it in yourself to unwrap the blanket.

And true to his words, a couple minutes after, a steamy bowl of chicken and noodles soup was placed in front of you. Your face lighted up, because not only did it smell delicious. It looked absolutely amazing.

“Thank you!” You mumbled, and grabbed the spoon, ready to dig into it.

Dick looked silently as you blew on the spoon before eating the spoonful. He grinned lightly at the squeal. It seemed he did a good job with the soup. Well, thanks God for Alfred and his absolutely amazing cooking tips.

He stood up then, ready to fetch you something to drink. He guesses some orange juice would be good to fight that cold. So he poured an almost full glass, placing it in front of you.

You mouthed a thank you once again, gently pushing the empty bowl aside. You hadn’t noticed how hungry you had been… However, the juice took a bit too finish. It was a bit bitter, but you wouldn’t complain about it.

“How are you feeling?” He finally asked. Besides your rosy cheeks, you had been ghostly pale when he had first arrived. But now, you looked much livelier.

“Much better. Thank you… for… u-um, everything.” You whispered, looking at him with a somewhat worried expression. “B-but I didn’t mean to make you miss work because of me…”

He blinked in confusion, before shaking his head. “No biggie. Seriously.” He assured, reaching for a hand, squeezing softly, thumb gently rubbing the skin. “But I do have to get back. I just need you to promise me something.”

“What?” You asked, tilting your head, telling yourself the blush on your face was because of the fever and not his giant and warm hand holding yours.

“Promise me you would call me if anything happens. If you’re not feeling alright, give me a call. Or if you need something. _Anything_ , [Name], I’m serious.”

Oh… he seemed truly worried, so you squeezed back his hand, giving a tiny smile and a thumbs up. “I promise, Dick. Don’t worry.”

“Pinky promise?” He winked, lifting his pinky to seal the deal.

You giggled then, hooking your finger with his. “Pinky promise.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realization finally hits, and you know this is not a simple crush. But are you ready to face it? Face him? Perhaps a date will be enough to enlighten you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the summary has, probably, nothing to do with it, dammit. Anyway, I'm so sorry I've been taking months to come up with this. It could've been better, and I hope next chapter is out soon. I promise so, since life is giving me a break now. Hope you all enjoy, and thanks a lot for giving this story a chance ^-^ <3

Thanks to the Universe – and well, perhaps it also had to do with Dick nursing you back to health – you no longer had a cold. It had been a rough week, and you had been stuck in your shared apartment, yet that had made the recovery process faster. You were back to being yourself, happy and cheery. Utterly content you did not have to deal with a stuffy nose or random fevers anymore.

And God, Dick had been such a sweetheart the entire time, always checking on you, and going out of his way to prepare healthy food he knew would bring you back to health in no time.

Honestly, you didn’t know how to thank him. You felt all the ‘thank you’s and smiles in the world were never enough, despite him assuring you they were.

So, when you saw they had opened a new Italian restaurant a few blocks from your apartment, you had been absolutely delighted. And you had insisted on going, wanting to at least treat him to lunch to repay a bit of what he had done for you.

It was one of those rare days off he had in which he didn’t have to go to Gotham, and thus he was spending the weekend at home. So that Saturday afternoon, the two of you decided to go grab lunch at the new place.

You chatted animatedly with him on the way, since it was at a walking distance, speaking about how much you loved Italian cuisine.

It turned out, he loved pasta and its derivates too. So he had in mind a delicious looking lasagna.

And the place did not disappoint. It was a cozy restaurant that mimicked Italian architecture on the inside, candles and checkered table clothes making the place have a really nice atmosphere.

You smiled contently, following as the waiter guided you two to the table.

Once you two were sitting, he handed the menus and excused himself while the two of you decided on what to get.

You had never been in a restaurant like that before, and half the names were in Italian. Although you knew a few words in the language, some names were pretty strange for you. But shrugging it off, your eyes immediately went to the ravioli.

The waiter came back, a warm smile in hand as he placed a couple water glasses. “May I take your order?”

“Um… I’d like the ravioli with Alfredo sauce, please!”

He then turned to Dick, scribbling down on his notepad his order of chicken and spinach lasagna. “Anything to drink?”

Looking back at the menu, you blinked, wondering what could be a good complement. Oh God, you were a rather indecisive person by nature, and the list of hundreds of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages wasn’t helping.

Dick chuckled, and looked at the waiter. “Anything you’d recommend, buddy?”

The man blinked, tapping his chin as he thought. “Maybe some pink champagne? It’s light. I’m sure the lady here would like it,” He winked, discreetly pointing towards you.

Blinking at the exchange, you tilted your head confusedly, before shrugging. “O-okay. Then a pink champagne, please!”

Okay, you were a lightweight, but you were sure one drink was not going to get to you.

Hopefully.

Oh my God.

Shaking your head to get rid of the thoughts, you smiled softly at Dick, happy to invite him to lunch. “A-are you liking it?”

His attention, which had been on the paintings and decorations of the restaurant, turned to you and he grinned, reaching across the table, squeezing your hand gently. He knew you were a bit nervous, and all he wanted was to make you feel as comfortable as you could feel. “Hey, this place is great. Thank you, babe.”

His words had an immediate effect on your cheeks, and you felt the warm spread across your cheeks. Yet you smiled at him, squeezing back his hand in return.

“I-I’m glad..!”

He pulled away however, when the waiter returned with the bottle of champagne, filling two thin glasses with it, before scurrying away once more.

Looking at the pinkish, bubbly liquid, you took the glass the way your parents had taught you, and take a tiny sip.

Oh, you had never had pink champagne before. It’s sweet and refreshing, and you really liked it, so you drank a bit more, before settling the glass down.

Honestly… You looked at your friend, watching as he looked at his phone, probably texting someone.

There was a soft smile playing on his lips. So genuine, so… HIM.

Looking down at your hands folded on your lap, you played with your fingers, suddenly feeling a bit anxious.

It felt as if… it were a date. Of sorts… somehow.

You had often wondered if he had a girlfriend or someone. He often spoke fondly about some Barbara girl, but you never had the guts to ask him.

You didn’t know why, though. You had reached that level of trust in which you’d confide personal matters to the other, but still… Perhaps the reason you couldn’t bring yourself to ask him is because you feared his answer.

It… it was undeniable. The crush you had on him. But somehow, your darker thoughts wouldn’t leave you alone, often telling you that you were way out of his league.

That you were not good enough.

He was so perfect in your eyes, and you were… You were you.

Lightly gulping the lump in your throat, you let out a startled gasp when you noticed Dick kneeling in front of you, hand cupping your cheek gently, thumb stroking your wet cheek.

Wait…. You blink, feeling a few unshed tears fall down your flushed cheeks.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me, [Name]…” He sported a frown, blue eyes staring firmly into yours as he caressed the soft, warm skin. “You okay? What happened?”

You let out a soft whimper, before smiling at him. “Sorry, I don’t know… It… I got a bit of anxiety,” You confessed, biting your lip, and taking a napkin to wipe your tears. “I’m okay now. I’m sorry, I didn’t notice I was crying.”

Sighing softly, he didn’t move an inch away, nodding his head in understanding. He knew you were a bit of a worry wart, and that you’d get anxious and stressed, and he sure as hell hoped he was not the reason behind it, though he had a feeling it had to do with him.

He stood up then, grabbing his chair and dragging it to your side, sitting next to you and grinning triumphantly at your surprised expression.

He wrapped an arm around you, and gently pulled you to him, giving you a side hug as he kissed your temple. “It’s alright babe. You feeling any better?”

Trying to fight the impending blush coating your face, you nodded, feeling much better and at ease.

It was incredible how easy he could calm you. But perhaps it was because he knew how to deal with an anxious person?

All your life you had had your family to help you throughout rough times.

But other than that, you only had yourself to deal with. And on your own, it had been hard.

So to have someone so understanding, and patient, and sweet with you was one hell of a nice change.

Swallowing and taking a deep breath, you mustered all the courage to turn your head and plant a soft kiss on his jaw. You were actually aiming for his cheek, but he was ridiculously tall and that was the only point you could reach. “T-thank you..!”

His head snapped in your direction, azure orbs darker than usual as he gave wink and a lopsided smile.

He opened his mouth to talk, but the waiter chose that moment to place the ravioli and lasagna in front of you two, a bit confused at the change of positions from your companion. Still, he smiled and nodded his head when you thanked him before walking away.

And it looked absolutely delicious! You stared in awe, pinching a ravioli with your fork before taking it to your mouth, letting out a soft moan. Oh God, that was delicious!

Dick observed you then, loving each and every expression as you ate the heavenly food. Hm. He could get definitely used to it.

Smirking to himself, he dug into his own food, eyes wide.

Long live lasagna, seriously!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't buy happiness with money. But money can buy ice-cream and that is pretty much the same. Of the one where your thoughts won't leave you alone, and an ice-cream parlor is the solution for everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everybody! I'm so super, duper sorry this took so long. I'm crying! But anyway, here it is. I do have to admit this is a sort of filler chapter. But hey, fluffy as always and I want to give you guys some sweet tooth ;D! Hope you enjoy, and thank you to heavens and beyond for such wonderful response to this story! I am so happy you guys decided to give it a chance. Thank you, really. Thank you. :]

Lunch with Dick at the new restaurant had been great. The food was spectacular, and his company only served to make the afternoon unforgettable.

Honestly, spending time with him had become your favorite thing to do. You had already admitted to yourself about the crush you had on him. He had been such sweetheart the entire time. Since the very first day you met him. It had been impossible not to fall for him.

Although your hopes were not high, considering that in your eyes he was way out of your league, you still would take advantage of every minute you got to spend with him. It made you happy, and although some part of you wished you had the guts to admit your obvious infatuation with him, some other part – a bigger one – didn’t want to even entertain the thought.

The least you wanted to cause was for your friendship to become forced or awkward should you admit your feelings for him. There was no need to complicate things, and thus you were content with being labelled as his friend.

That was more than enough.

Giving a soft smile, you tried to walk straight, aware he had already noticed the slight sway in your step.

Okay, fine. FINE. Perhaps you shouldn’t have drunk so much of that ridiculously sweet pink champagne.

You couldn’t hold your liquor, but you seriously thought a couple glasses weren’t going to do the trick. Yet, of course, they did. So, you groaned at the amused laugh coming from your left, gently elbowing the bigger male as you playfully rolled your eyes.

“D-don’t laugh at me, it’s not f-funny!”

“Sorry sweetheart. Can’t really help it. To think you’re such a lightweight,” He grinned, mirth in those gorgeous sapphire blue hues as his hand moved to your elbow. Just in case.

“I’m not drunk!” You protested, almost tripping with your feet, giving a sheepish look.

A little bit tipsy, indeed. But not drunk. Not completely, at least.

Letting out a soft sigh, you slowed your pace until you stopped moving altogether.

Standing still next to you, the black-haired male turned to give you a look, before following your line of sight. It did not seem like anything was wrong. If anything, he couldn’t help but silently stare as you smiled softly, [e/c] eyes moving up at the pink, orange and yellow sky.

The sun was setting, painting the clouds and blue sky in a myriad of warm colors as the breeze carried fallen leaves and dust.

It had been such a nice day. And you almost didn’t want it to end. Not yet. Biting your lip gently, your eyes moved to your companion. Would he…?

Looking down at your feet before he could catch your stare, your brows knitted together in a half-hearted frown.

“Want to go for ice-cream?”

The sudden question caught you off guard. Lifting your head, your mind reeled to comprehend his words. He was patient, waiting for you to catch up on what he had said.

Ice-cream? A quiet laugh left your rosy lips, and you nodded your head.

“Yeah… I-I’d like that,”

It seemed the alcohol effect was finally going away. You were much soberer now, and it made the situation even more real.

Not that you thought you had been dreaming everything. But that did not stop you from thinking that it was too good to be true.

Dick offered you a hand, giving a handsome smile at your squeak. It seemed he had taken you out of your reverie. And although he didn’t mean to startle you, he knew your own thoughts were troubling you.

Almost too slowly, your hand reached his, and you had to swallow when he closed it around your, enveloping in warmth.

His hands weren’t soft, per se. They were calloused, strong, and utterly gigantic. At least, compared to yours. Perhaps you just had small hands.

Whatever it was, you were sure of one thing. You loved them.

Feeling a light tug, you started to walk, falling in step with him.

He chatted animatedly, and you had to feel a little bit guilty because you had literally put zero attention to whatever he was saying, way too entertained looking at him.

The way those sapphire orbs would shine, or how the wind would tousle those soft looking raven tresses, or the way he smiled. Such an Oscar winning smile that it left you dazzled and confused, but in the good way that made your spine shiver, and your skin tingle pleasantly.

He was such a gorgeous being. In and out.

And you really thought of yourself as the luckiest woman on earth. Fate, coincidence, life…. Whatever it was, you were so grateful you had crossed paths with him. Moving to Blüdhaven had been the best decision you had ever taken.

It wasn’t easy, by any means. But even without your parents, you truly felt at home.

And so lost were you in your thoughts again that you didn’t notice when he had stopped, crashing onto his broad back as you looked up at him, blinking.

“We’re here,” He announced the obvious, a building with a gigantic, flamboyant sign in the form of a chocolate popsicle displaying the words “Scoops n’ smiles”.

“Ah! Yeah!” You giggled, a bit embarrassed you hadn’t noticed the structure before your very own eyes.

He chuckled, shaking his head and dismissing the situation as he walked in.

Despite being an ice-cream shop, it was warm. It also smelt like sweets and candy. And if the sign had been flamboyant, the inside of the shop was even more.

The floor was checkered, pink and green squares littering the ground as you walked towards the cashier.

It was unsurprisingly full, but it seemed the service was excellent, for the line was advancing very fast, even with only two of the three cashiers working.

“It’s the first time I’ve come here,” Dick added then, looking up at the options shown on the digital menu above the registers. “Pistachio… I’ve never had that one!”

He was right. There were multiple options to choose from, and you only hoped you would make up your mind before it was your turn. But, you were inclining for the caramel milkshake. It looked delicious!

“I always take this path to go to the station, and I had never noticed this place!” You giggled, scratching your cheek with your index finger. “Well, then again, it’s always closed when it’s too early in the morning, and I am normally in a hurry to get back home I never look around.”

Giving you an amused look, he smiled at you. “You’re often in a hurry to get back home?”

“Yeah! I look forward to spending time with y- wait… I mean… I-”

His chuckle interrupted your mumbling, and you playfully glared at him when he placed a playful kiss on your forehead. “You’re fucking adorable, you knew that?”

Rolling your eyes, you jabbed him in the shoulder, laughing at his dramatic act as he held his arm as if he had been shot. “Goddamn woman, you’re really strong for being so petite!”

“I’m not petite!” You retaliated, cheeks puffing as you poked his bicep. “You’re just a big boy!”

“Yeah, can tie my shoes and all!” He winked, before turning his attention to the tired, but cheery looking cashier. “Hey there…” His eyes scanned the name label, before grinning at the teen. “Sophia. Could I have a pistachio ice cream cone, and…”

Ah, right! Coming forward, you smiled at the girl then, pointing to the milkshake. “Is… is the caramel milkshake any good!”

The girl nodded then, smiling from ear to ear. “Absolutely! But the macadamia milkshake is much better. It’s also new to the shop, if you’d like to give it a try!”

Macadamia, huh? Nodding your head, you made your mind then. “Okay! Then I’d like a macadamia milkshake, please!”

Nodding the girl typed on the keyboard, before looking up and telling the amount. Giggling softly, she stared at the both of you as you both thrusted a few dollar bills in front of her.

“Hey, what gives? You invited me for lunch, I can handle the dessert!” Dick immediately protested.

“Lunch is not complete without the dessert, so technically it’s my treat too!” Lightly bumping his hip and pushing him to the side, you stood in front of the girl, almost shoving the money in her direction.

Of course, she couldn’t even make a move to reach for it when a strong arm wrapped around your waist, lifting you up from the ground and turning you away from her. “Hell no. I’m paying, little lady. Don’t accept anything from this woman.”

An indignant, playful gasp left your lips as the girl took the money from him, crossing your arms over your chest as you pouted. “You are a meanie!”

“Whatever you say baby. But this is my treat, understood?”

Tch. Humping, you turned around before sitting at a table, giving him the cold shoulder.

He knew better than to take it to heart, so he simple grinned, winking at the girl and moving to join you at your table.

Dropping the act, you smiled brightly at him, sighing contently. “Hey… thank you. I’ve… I’m really having a wonderful time! Really… thank you for making my afternoon so enjoyable.”

“You kidding? Babe, it’s been great! So, thank YOU for making my afternoon amazing. I think we should really do this more often.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't end up the way you expected, but you're a firm believer that things happen for a reason. Perhaps not everything is going to be bad, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! First of all, I want to say thank you! Thank you for all the support all of you have given to this story! I really, truly appreciate it, loves! It means the world and the universe to me! Honestly, once again... thank you. I hope you keep going with me through this trip! Hehe! <3

Your milkshake was long gone by the time you two decided to leave the ice cream shop. The sun had already set, and in its place, the crescent moon shone around the sky, littered with tiny stars and barely visible clouds.

The air was chilly, and you unconsciously wrapped your arms around yourself. You hadn’t expected to be out this late, hence you didn’t even think about bringing a jacket with you.

Not that you minded, of course. You had thoroughly had the best time. Especially since you got to spend the day with your raven-haired friend.

Looking up at him, you were about to ask him if he had had a good time, but before any sound could be articulated, a warm, black leather jacket was draped over your shoulders.

Blinking, you babbled something incoherent, feeling his scent surround you as he zipped the jacket all the way up, adding a wink.

“Thank you!” You managed at last, giving him a soft, yet sincere smile, grabbing his hand once again when he offered. Though still. You didn’t want him catching a cold, either. “B-but aren’t you going to get cold?”

He shook his head, briefly tuning to look at you. “Nah, babe. Besides, I have a long-sleeved shirt, and it’s not really cold for me. I kind of like it.” Turning his attention to the street again, he stopped at a red light, watching the cars buzz by as he stared at nothing in particular.

Well, if he said so, you were going to believe him. Sighing in contentment, you gently squeezed the hand holding yours, earning the same action in return. A smile blossomed on your lips again, and you couldn’t shake the feeling of a teenage girl getting to hang out with her crush.

“-daydreaming again?”

Blinking, you stared at him, [e/c] hues meeting a vibrant blue. Was… had he been talking to you?

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” You gasped, giving him an apologetic look. “I w-was lost in thought..!”

He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. “It’s fine. I was just asking you if you had enjoyed today. But you just kept staring at me, so I asked if you were daydreaming again.”

Ah. His explanation made sense, and giving him a sheepish look, you nodded. “I really, really enjoyed today. I… thank you, honestly. This day can’t get better!”

He chuckled, walking again with you once he realized the light was green for pedestrians.

“Yeah. As I said before, we should really do this more often, y’know? I think it helps us both to just… disconnect. From reality, from work-”

A sharp, high-pitched scream interrupted his speech, and immediately your attention turned to the alley between a little grocery shop and an antique boutique.

You stayed glued to your spot, fear crawling over every cell as you heard a second scream. The words were muffled, but you could make out a desperate “Please help me!”.

And without a single ounce of hesitation, you watched Dick dash towards the alley.

Your breathing became a bit labored, but you couldn’t afford to have any anxiety or panic attacks now. You knew it wasn’t wise to rush in. But what if he needed help? What if he was hurt? You couldn’t live with it.

You scrambled, searching your pockets frantically for your phone, before remembering you had placed it in your purse. So, you looked in there then, grabbing the small, white device and dialing the emergency number. Once they had answered, you told them about a possible robbery, and the direction, a bit relieved when they said they’ll be there shortly.

After hanging up, you peeked down the alley, jogging a bit further when you heard sobbing. Looking around a pile of carton boxes, you noticed an opening in the alley, bifurcating into a construction and abandoned looking site, and into the street.

Dick Grayson stood there, a hysterically sobbing woman behind him as he faced three of the reminding five men.

Two were on the ground already, seemingly unconscious, while the other three sported menacing glares, hands full with pipes, bats and a shiny, pointy looking object you came to realize was a pocket knife.

Swallowing, you stood rooted in place, knowing better than to get in between. But you wished you could help him…

Gasping, you stared in awe as Dick ducked down before throwing what one could call an uppercut towards the first bandit that dared approach. He side stepped, so fast you couldn’t believe he’d be able to move at such speed with a body so big.

But not only was he fast, his agility seemed to be no match for the gang.

The pocket knife directed at his chest never touched it, for he had grabbed the man’s wrist, flicking it at an odd angle, you had to wince at the sound it had made.

The man clutched the hand in pain, falling to his knees as the other two charged forward.

Not that they had any more luck than the last one, honestly.

Granted, you knew your friend was a trained policeman, but the way he fought was almost ridiculous! And there was this sense of familiarity you couldn’t quite place. As if you had somehow seen him before, despite never doing so.

He dodged and blocked with expertise, using his imposing stature and strength to his favor as he lunched forward, his fist connecting with the stomach of one of the bandits, knocking the air out of him, before grabbing the bat from the other, easily flipping him over. His knee immediately nailed his chin, before his fist contacted his jaw.

With only one man standing, his undivided attention was on the individual.

“So, buddy… Why don’t you pick on people your own size, huh?” He asked, and though you couldn’t see him, given his back was to you, you could practically hear the smirk on his voice as he slowly advanced.

You almost felt bad for the man. Almost.

But before either of them could react, the one that looked like the boss, whose wrist was probably dislocated if not broken, had charged at him, the knife in his good hand and aiming for Dick’s side.

And you couldn’t let that happen, could you?

Not even realizing your legs were already moving – running – you let them carry you. And the best idea you could have was tackling the man, not being versed in any fighting style for the matter.

You jumped at him, a light gasp ripping from your throat as both your body and his hit the pavement.

Dick’s head immediately snapped in your direction, and although it had been a mistake on his part, not noticing the other individual charging at him, he was a bit surprised at your stunt. Although he was undeniably angry because what the hell were you thinking, you could get hurt, he was equally amused.

Though, too late he realized his other mistake when a bat made contact with his forearm. Although he expected a bit more, he knew he shouldn’t have taken his eyes of off the guy facing him.

He clicked his tongue, a bit annoyed he let him get a hit on him, but quickly disposed of him with a blunt kick to his middle, sending him skidding a few meters.

Meanwhile, you had unfortunately – or fortunately – gotten the boss away from Dick. But his attention was on you now, and you barely had time to react when he lunched, his knife making contact with your forearm as you used it to protect your stomach from a more dangerous blow.

You winced in pain, a whimper tearing from your throat as pain filled your mind.

Okay, being stabbed hurt.

A lot.

Honestly, why the hell?!

You inhaled sharply, eyes wide as he lunched again, though this time the knife didn’t even come close to you as Dick pulled him away from you with a brutal tug.

Clutching your bleeding arm, you stared as the raven-haired man delivered blow after blow on the gang’s boss, a few teeth flying around as the man tried to defend himself, but a twisted wrist, swollen eye, bleeding lip and probably broken ribs were preventing him from doing so.

Dick growled, heavily panting as his fist slammed, again, against the man’s face. Shaking his head and trying to regain a bit of control over his instincts, he knew he had to stop. The man was already unconscious.

Immediately, he returned by your side, completely unaware the woman he was protecting was nowhere in sight. He kneeled in front of you, eyes glued to your bleeding arm as he helped you apply pressure.

Looking at him, you could see many different emotions clashing within those crystal blue hues of his. Frowning softly, you quickly wiped your good hand on your jeans, not wanting to turn him into a mess too, cupping his cheek gently.

“Hey… Look at me?” You pleaded softly.

He did as told, a glare with hidden feelings clashing within azure hues directed at you. “What… what were you thinking, [Name], seriously?!”

You knew this was coming. And in all honestly, perhaps you deserved it. But you felt too tired and lightheaded to try to argue with him.

A single apology left your lips, and you couldn’t bring yourself to stand on your feet, feeling strangely weak, though that probably had to do with the blood loss. “I’m s-so… sorry…”

He stared at you for a second, before reaching for his shirt. “C'mon!” He urged, his free hand roughly pulling at the hem of it, easily tearing a piece of cloth long enough to wrap around your arm. Fuck, he was angry. Yet, he knew angry was not what you needed right then. So he cupped your cheeks, making you look at him. “It’ll be okay, sweetcheeks, I promise. Just keep talking to me, [Name]. Can you do that for me?”

Blinking a bit confusedly, you nodded, giving a tiny, but honest smile. “O-okay…”

“Good.” He mumbled, easily gathering you in his arms as he stood up, hearing the faint sound of sirens in the distance. Someone must have called the police. “Talk to me, baby.” He pressed, doing his best to keep you awake, at least until help arrived and he could be sure there was not a greater danger.

“I…” You swallowed, feeling your throat a bit dry, burying your head in his neck as you let out tiny sobs. It seemed the adrenaline from your little stunt was wearing off, and as a result, you started to feel full force the pain of the stab. It was uncomfortable, and it burned, and all you wanted to do was go home and rest. “I-it’s hurting… Dick…”

His nickname coming from your lips caught his attention, but it only served to make him spur into action faster as he ran toward the main street, holding you tightly, feeling his heart clenching each time you whimpered against his neck.

_Damn it!_

God, he would give anything in the world to stop your pain… but right then, he could only hold you. He spotted the police cars, along with an ambulance, and quickly called out to them. “Hey! I need medical attention here!”

He carefully lowered you on one of the stretches, following you into the ambulance, his hand never leaving yours as he hoped and prayed to God for you to be okay. The rest didn’t matter, you _had_ to be okay.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were going to be okay, and that's all that matters to him. A new character comes to your aid, and you can't thank her enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever noticed how much I suck at chapter summaries? I can't do them for saving my life! So yes. This is a second update in two days. And no, it's not the end of the world. Kind of an apology for taking sooooooooo long to update. Don't get used to it, though, since I do have to go back to work tomorrow. (*Cries in Spanish*) ANYWAY! Hope you like and enjoy this one. I'm sorry there's a lack of intereaction between our beloved vigilante and Reader-chan, but bear with me for a second. Thanks for all the support! :) <3

Her short heels clicked gently as she gracefully walked down the hospital hall, looking left and right, trying to find her friend. It didn’t take long once she reached the waiting room. He was sitting down, his broad back to her as he scribbled down in some papers. Probably some forms he had been requested to fill.

“Hey,” She called then, smiling as he turned his azure orbs to her, looking tired but happy to see her.

“Hey!” He greeted, standing up to envelop the red head in a warm, tight hug. “Barb… thank you so much for coming.”

She waved her hand dismissively, winking at him once the hug was over. “Yeah, yeah. You sounded rather desperate over the phone, so how could I say no, hm?”

He chuckled softly, albeit tiredly, before dropping on the chair once again, motioning for her to do the same.

The red-head sat down next to him, peering at the papers.

“The doctor asked me to fill these while [Name] woke up.” He elaborated, tapping the pen against the paper as he sighed tiredly, one hand reaching to rub his closed eyes.

“Dick.” Her voice was serious, the tone a tad bit reprimanding. “You’ve been here the whole night. Go get some sleep, and I’ll stay with her.”

“It’s no biggie, Barb. I’m used to pull all-nighters.”

“Yeah, but usually fighting crime and whatnot. Not in the hospital worried and stressed. That is more tiring than kicking some bad guys’ asses.”

She had a point there, indeed. It was mentally draining. But he couldn’t bring himself to catch some sleep until he knew you were totally okay. The doctor had told him a few hours prior that your injury was not large. A bit deep, but it hadn’t made any substantial damage to any nerves on your arm. It was going to hurt for a bit, but the mobility and well-being of your arm was not compromised.

He sighed for the umpteenth time, giving her a thankful look. “Really, Barbara. Thank you for coming.”

Green eyes gave a soft look, reaching a hand to bury in his hair, gently combing the unruly raven tresses. “No problem big boy. What room is her in, anyway?”

“Third floor. Room three, zero, seven. I told the doctor you’d be coming, so you shouldn’t have any trouble.” He informed, leaning into her touch. He looked at his wrist watch then, before looking at his friend. Four forty-nine in the morning… honestly… He would forever be thankful to Barbara Gordon for coming all the way from Gotham at such ungodly hour.

Looking at the digital numbers on his watch, she clicked her tongue, flicking his forehead and giggling at his playful glare. “C’mon, tiger. Go get some sleep, and I’ll stay with [Name].”

She stood up then, waiting for him to do the same before taking the papers from him. There was some very personal information he had left in blank, but she noticed, that overall, he knew many things about you. She giggled to herself, before walking towards the elevator.

“Hey Barb,” He called from the hall, watching her turn around once she was inside. “Call me when she wakes up? Please?”

Rolling her eyes, she shrugged. “I’ll think about it.” She lied, before winking, nodding her head. “Yeah, yeah. I will, don’t worry. So, stop being a worry wart and go get some sleep! You look like a zombie!”

And with that, she watched the doors close, not before hearing him add ‘handsome’ to zombie. She shook her head in amusement, before walking out the elevator once it reached the third floor.

Stepping out, she followed the labels to get to your room, carefully opening the door and peering inside. The lights were off, but the curtain was open, so she could make out your sleeping form on the stretcher.

She closed the door after her carefully, stepping closer to the bed, driven by pure curiosity to finally meet you – though, she wished it had been under better circumstances. You were on your side, curled, soundlessly sleeping, body tucked beneath the blanket except for your head. Your face was a bit red, and it was an adorable shade on you.

She pulled one of the visitors chairs closer to the bed, sitting down and quietly looking at you. God, you’d be all Dick Grayson would talk about whenever he visited them. You had left quite an impression on him.

And Barbara would be lying if she said she accepted his request, when he had called her two hours, or so, asking her if she could possible stay with you for a while, if she hadn’t had her own interest behind it. She was dying to meet you, honestly.

And she wasn’t disappointed. Compared to all their lives, living behind masks, even when her mask was not tangible, it was a nice change. At least for Dick. Having someone so… normal. Maybe normal was not the word. Down to earth, maybe? Someone so… human.

She sighed then, standing up and walking towards the window. Blüdhaven was quite lively at such early hours in the morning. Although during the day the sun showed the city’s true colors, it was a beautiful night to behold during the night. The lights made the city look beautiful. Her hand was placed over the closed window as she looked, mesmerized. Was Gotham like that...? She didn’t have an answer to that. More often than not, her nights would consist in being down at the Batcave, helping her boys go through the nights, providing instructions and directions as they fought for a better city.

Smiling softly, she returned to the chair, finding a comfortable position as she watched you sleep. You weren’t in any immediate danger, and she was thankful for that. Dick had been so worried… Man, he was such a hen mother at times. Many times. Almost all the time, actually…

God. She inhaled and exhaled, body relaxed as she found herself drifting off to sleep.

By the time she regained consciousness, the room was brightly lit by the sun, thanks to the open curtain from the window. She blinked a couple times, eyes widening a bit when she noticed curious [e/c] orbs staring at her.

“Oh my God!” She sat straight in a flash, covering her mouth with her hand. “I’m so sorry I fell asleep! I was supposed to keep an eye on you, but… oh my God!”

You gave a rather confused, but soft smile. Certainly, when you had woken up, you had not expected to see a read heard soundly sleeping next to you. Somehow, she seemed familiar. And it took you a couple minutes to figure out where you had seen her.

In pictures. More precisely, pictures Dick Grayson had shown you. Indeed, he always spoke fondly of her, and you could guess why. She was beautiful, and although she didn’t even know you, she stayed with you in the hospital.

“N-no problem!” You croaked, making a face when you heard your voice. It was rather raspy, and your throat was a bit sore. “T-thank you for coming.”

She shook her head. “No problem at all!” Standing up, she quickly fetched you some water, which the nurse had probably placed there some time while she was asleep, and helped you drink some of it. “Is that any better?”

You nodded, blushing a bit. “Yes. Much. Thank you!”

She smiled then, sitting back down, one of her hands gently raking her hair as she sighed. “Sorry about that, honestly. I didn’t expect our first encounter to go like that. The name’s Barbara Gordon, by the way.”

You reached for her hand when she offered, nodding your head in response. “Nice to meet you, Barbara. I’m [Name]-”

“[Last Name].” She finished for you, giving a cheeky smile. “Yeah. Someone speaks quite a lot about you.”

Once again, red tainted your cheeks, and you gave a small, sheepish smile. “A-ah… he does? Hope it’s nothing too embarrassing.”

“Eh,” She shrugged playfully, before giggling. “Nah, don’t worry about it. He’s quite fond of you. And speaking of him…” She trailed, looking for her phone on her purse. Once she found it, she briefly looked at the time. A quarter to ten. God, she slept quite a few hours. She dialed his number then, before smiling at you. “Dick! Guess who’s awake and looking as adorable as you describe her?”

Oh my God, that girl… Honestly, it seemed as if she truly enjoyed making you blush. Her comments only made your skin burn, heat practically radiating off of you in waves. You waited patiently, sitting up on the bed, being careful with your bandaged arm. It hurt a little bit, but it was nothing compared to the night before. You barely remembered anything, anyway.

“How is he doing?” You asked once you saw her hang up.

“Good. I sent him home because he looked absolutely exhausted.” She admitted, giving you a soft look. “I don’t think I have ever heard him as scared as he was last night.”

Your smile disappeared, and you felt your heart sink at her words. You had not meant to worry him, honestly. What you had done was pure reflex. Instinct, perhaps, to protect him. “I didn’t want to scare him… I really didn’t. But… I’d do it one and a thousand times if it meant he’d be okay.”

Barbara stared, flabbergasted, at your serious expression while you spoke. She had always looked at things from Dick’s perspective. But it seemed it was not only him that cared about you. She could see it, she could feel it. You cared about him just as much.

Smiling, she reached a hand for you, squeezing gently. “Thank you, [Name].”

Eh? What was she thanking you for? You frowned a bit, squeezing her hand in return. “I… w-why? I didn’t do anything…”

Oh, if only you knew. She shook her head, deciding to let the matter go, for now, before changing topics. “So how are you feeling, hun? How’s your arm?”

Her question made you look at the bandages covering the wound. “It’s… it hurts a little bit, to be honest. But it feels fine. Thank you for asking.”

Dick wasn’t lying when he had told her you were very polite, huh? “Well, if it gets to be too much, let me know so I can call someone to help you with it, okay? Dick said he’d be here shortly.”

You nodded, smiling at her and yawning, hoping you would be able to go home. “Do you think they’d let me out today…?”

Ah! Speaking of that. She nodded, grabbing the papers the raven-haired man had been filling hours before. “Yeah. Dick was completing these forms for you. The doctor said you’d be good to go today. The wound wasn’t infected, and you reacted well to anesthesia. They wanted to keep you in observation, but it seems everything is fine.”

You took the papers from her, giving a soft thank you as she handed you a pen. Fortunately, your dominant hand was okay, and you could easily complete the papers, giving them back to her. “Thank you, Barbara. I honestly appreciate you helping me out!”

“Don’t sweat it, hun. Now… I’ll go see if I can get us something to eat so we can leave, okay?”

The thought of some food was marvelous. So, you nodded your head, giving a soft smile as she left the room, promising to bring something delicious to share.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation you were dreading just happens. But maybe it is for the best. In the end, you realize something that perhaps you knew all along. Friendship was enough, your brain said, even if your heart kept screaming for more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead. I promise. And here I come with (hopefully) a double update! I also wrote a Christmas special one month later because I suck. Anyway! Thank you to everybody that has supported and read this stroy so far! This chapter was difficult to write, since I wanted some character study on our handsome vigilante. I wrote like ten different drafts, and changed a bit my writing style, but I hope I can deliver. Anyway, had you noticed that summaries never have to do with the story? I can't write them for saving my life! Well, hope you guys still enjoy! <3

It seemed Barbara was taking her time, and you wondered if maybe she was as indecisive as you were. You weren’t particularly picky about food, but that was precisely what made choosing so difficult. Everything looked delicious at times, and you often spent more than a few minutes trying to decide.

Not that you could complain or anything, because it had been very nice of her to go out of her way to get you some food. But you were really hungry. Unfortunately, the only one to blame had been you. At least mostly. You had refused to eat the insipid hospital food the nurse had tried to feed you last night. In your defense, though, the first bite almost made you throw up, and in your half-sedated state you did not really feel like eating.

A short sigh left your lips as you looked around the room. It seemed the day was sunny and warm, and you lamented the fact that half of it was going to be wasted doing hospital paperwork so you could get home. Provided, of course, that you could actually go home.

You inspected the bandage. It hurt a little, but you figured it was only normal. Mobility seemed okay, so you really hoped you would be able to go home soon.

So lost were you in your thoughts that you jumped a little when the hinges of the door protested against force. The wooden structure easily caved as it was pushed open, revealing a very familiar face.

As much as you wanted to keep your cool, you couldn’t help the smile that covered your face. “Dick!”

He easily reached the bed, a grin etched on his handsome features as he bent down to your level, gathering you in an almost bone-crushing hug.

And god, he smelled so good, and his arms were so warm, and you felt so at home that you couldn’t help but feel disappointed when he pulled back.

You hid it well, anyway, and giggled gently as he dragged a chair towards the bed, sitting on it as he started the onslaught of questions.

“Hey, how are you feeling? Did you sleep well? Is it hurting? Do you need anything?”

You smiled gently, using said gesture to try to reassure him that you were indeed okay. Yeah, you probably were going to have to be stuck at home for a few days, but you could manage. “I’m feeling okay,” Your hand reached for his, gently squeezing. “I slept well, and it’s not hurting much.”

Answering all his questions was priority. You knew you had worried him beyond belief. It hadn’t been on purpose, but it had happened anyway. And you also had the slight suspicion that behind his worry, there was a little bit of anger. “Good… I’m glad.”

His voice may have tried to hide it, but his eyes, crystal clear, showed every emotion. He had been angry at you, frustrated even. And he had every right. Had you been the one in his position, you’d be infinitely pissed off at him.

His eyes searched yours as you spoke. “Are you… How are you?”

You had been passed out majority of the time, and he had had to deal with everything while you were sleeping. It wasn’t fair on him, and you truly wished to take that weight off his shoulders.

He carefully analyzed the question. He knew it wasn’t anything casual you were asking out of courtesy. Your [e/c] orbs showed genuine concern, and even when he could admit the storm of emotions creating pure chaos within, he felt mostly relieved.

“I’m good. Better, knowing you’re okay.” He answered finally, his playful demeanor changing for a more serious one. He knew that he was pushing you a bit too far. He should’ve waited for you to be out of the hospital and comfortable at home, but it was eating at him. And just the mere thought of losing you was driving him to absolute insanity.

Man, he’d kill and die for you, if it meant he could see you smile.

His flickering emotions were notorious, and you knew you two needed to talk it out. The fact that he was so silent, yet his eyes showed every bit of what was transpiring behind them, made you believe that you needed to take initiative. Man, you felt like a married couple trying to fix things.

The silence felt heavy, and you couldn’t quite stand it. You had acted out of instinct, reflex. But you were also very conscious about what you wanted to do, even before your own body decided to move on its own.

“I’m sorry I… I’m sorry I worried you like that. I didn’t mean to, Dick. I really didn’t.” You hoped your apology would make things a bit less tense. However, you also felt the need to tell him how you felt. “But I don’t regret what I did.” You knew you were walking in very thin glass, if anything by the way his demeanor shifted. Perhaps it was barely noticeable, but you didn’t miss the darkening of his eyes, or the way his muscles seemed tenser.

You didn’t want to provoke that reaction but being honest was your priority. You reached a hesitant hand that he easily took. A small smile graced your lips as you gave a soft squeeze.

It took him a while to speak, and he was thankful for the patience you were having with him. He looked down at your intertwined hands – your good hand in his. He studied the soft skin, or the blue and silver nail polish you were wearing. A rather soft laugh left his lips, and he couldn’t decide what exactly triggered it. Anger? Frustration? Fear? Relief? Perhaps all of them together.

“I…” He started, lifting his head and searching for your eyes. “I don’t… I was scared.” He admitted, and he hated to feel so vulnerable. He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to find the right words to convey what he wanted to say. “I had only felt like that about twice before. And I hate it. I hate it.”

Your heart dropped at seeing him openly pouring his feelings. The hand in yours trembled, and you had to hold tighter, trying to show support through your actions. You were aware of your eyes watering, and you felt such strong need to bring him into your embrace and hug him so tight he’d have trouble breathing.

“Dick-” You started but stopped yourself as he looked at you. And you wished you were not the reason his eyes had lost their light that very moment. Your teeth worried at your bottom lip as you fought the urge to break down in front of him.

“I can’t lose you.” His voice was strong, yet gentle, and if you were left without words before, it was an understatement now. “I can’t lose you, too.”

You still were not sure where exactly your friendship with him was heading. It didn’t matter, though. Whether he returned your feelings or not, you knew that he deeply cared about you. Just about as much as you cared about him.

“You’re not going to lose me.” You spoke, voice breaking at the end, but you managed to get the message out. “You’re… I’m not going anywhere, Dick. I’m not going to leave you alone. I promise.”

He stayed silent for a while, still completely focused on you. It was not his intention to bring you to tears. He appreciated the fact that you were honest with him, regarding the situation. But he needed to be honest too. It was only fair. And he just couldn’t hint at it. You were too important. He needed to tell you straight that he couldn’t bear the thought of you being gone. He had lost people in the past. Everyone had. But in such an unfair way. His parents, then Jason – though the latter had returned, it soothed the pain, but what he felt when he first found out he was dead would never be forgotten to him.

And your words had struck a chord. He knew you weren’t aiming for it, but they had such an effect on him. You were on your breaking point, and he knew you were trying to stay strong for him, trying not to cry because undoubtedly you felt guilty about causing such reaction from him.

He was so used to hiding feelings, but it was almost impossible when you were concerned.

His eyes softened, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him. You promised. You had promised not to leave him alone. And he was planning on making you keep your promise. Until the end.

He rose to his full weight, easily enveloping you in another tight hug, left hand gently rubbing up and down your back in what he hoped were soothing motions. Perhaps he should have waited to have that conversation, but he was happy it was out of the way now.

You were safe and sound in his arms, and albeit he was a bit bitter about your bandaged arm, fortunately it hadn’t escalated to anything worse. You were strong, he knew that. You were going to be okay.

Your eyes closed as you buried your face in his neck. But everything was settled then. And even if you yourself didn’t understand the weight of your promise, he did. And that was what mattered. You were ready to utter so many more apologies, because besides worrying him, you knew you had opened closed wounds from his past. It had not been your intention, but his actions only served to further confirmation that he knew.

As soon as you pulled away, the door opened.

A startled Barbara stopped in her tracks. Her arms were loaded with Styrofoam food containers as she looked from Dick to you and vice versa.

The black-haired male immediately took the load from her arms, setting it down by the nearby coffee table.

It seemed she was frozen, and you wondered if she thought something had happened. Your eyes moved to the containers on top of the coffee table. It smelt delicious, and you made a mental note to thank her for it.

“Barbie,” Dick called, voice almost booming in the otherwise silent room as he frowned down at her, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving a soft squeeze. “You okay?”

The red head opened and closed her mouth a couple times, before nodding. “I- yeah. Yeah. I’m fine. Sorry about that. I didn’t know you were here already.”

“I just got here about ten minutes ago.” He explained, opening the bags to peek at the food, lightly glaring when his hand was smacked away. “Hey! What gives?”

You stared, flabbergasted at the exchange happening in front of you. It seemed the whole atmosphere had changed in seconds. And their bantering was certainly amusing as Barbara lectured Richard Grayson about not touching other people’s food.

“This is for [Name],” She spoke playfully, jutting her lips in a cute pout as she took one of the containers. However, she had brought food to feed a small army, and you knew she had been thinking about him too when she had offered to get you something to eat.

Obediently sitting up on the bed, you smiled as Barbara placed the food on your lap. “Thank you! It looks delicious!”

She had gotten some Chinese rice and a couple egg rolls, and it looked absolutely appetizing. Then again, you were really hungry.

But hey, hunger is the best sauce, huh?

Dick clicked his tongue, heavily dropping on the chair next to Barbara as she took out her own food, eyes narrowed in a playful way as he pouted at her. “You’re such a meanie, girl.”

She vehemently rolled her eyes, before letting out a giggle, and pushing one of the white boxes towards the bigger man. “Fine,” She uttered, voice laced with mirth. “You can have some.”

And that was enough to cheer him up, for he immediately took the box, one hand moving to her hair, and before she could swat at it, he was fondly messing up her red locks. “Thanks sweetie! You’re the best!”

And then he proceeded to give her that Oscar winning smile before digging into his food.

Barbara hummed something under her breath, and you wondered how much time they had known each other. There was this undeniable chemistry between them.

But it made your emotions become a jumbling mess within. You felt happy that Dick had such an amazing friend he could count on. You knew it hadn’t been an easy night for him, but somehow Barbara had made it all bearable for him.

However, there was a part of you that told you that you were an outsider to this all. And you briefly wondered if Dick cared about her as in…. more than a friend.

Shaking your head, you shoved a spoonful of rice into your mouth, deciding to not even entertain the thought. If he did, well… what could you do? His friendship was more than enough.

It was way more than enough…

But then why did it hurt? Just thinking about it was ridiculously painful.

And to your dismay, you realized that it was over.

You were far and deep in love with Richard Grayson.


End file.
